The Face That Lies
by christibabe
Summary: Stephanie's life is turned upside down by a man she loves and thought she could trust to love her too. First 2 chapters have lots from books 1-8 as background. This story takes place after Hard Eight.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: I really want to keep it a secret for now who she ends up with. Although you may not be happy with what Morelli/Ranger has done, he is not a totally bad person. _

Chapter 1: The Beginning-Part 1

Stephanie's POV:

The two men I'd spent the past few years loving and yo-yoing back and forth between were both loaded on stretchers into ambulances with gunshot wounds. One of them got shot because he stepped in front of me to take the bullet meant for me. The other was shot by his own partner. I couldn't ride with both of them, but it was no contest. Before the EMT could close the doors I slipped inside and sat beside the one man I knew I could trust with my life. My whole world had been turned upside down in the past three days, but that was the one true fact I knew I could still count on.

How was my world turned upside down? Well to explain, I'd have to go back to the beginning. Not just three days ago, but further back to the time I was 6 years old...

My name is Stephanie Plum, in more recent years I've been known as The Bombshell Bounty Hunter, Cupcake, and Babe. Back then I was just known as Stephanie Plum. I was born in Trenton, New Jersey where I lived in a two story duplex. Our half was yellow with a brown shingle roof. We lived in a neighborhood in Chambersburg known as 'The Burg'.

When I was 6 years old I'd been warned to stay away from the Morelli boys because they were trouble. But, when 8 year old Joe Morelli promised to show me a new game, I'd eagerly followed him to his parents garage. Ten years later he nailed me on the floor of the Tasty Pastry after I'd closed the store for the night. Our next meeting was three years later when I was driving my dad's Buick and saw Morelli on the sidewalk by Giovichinni's Meat Market. I'd gunned the Buick, jumped the curb and knocked Morelli on his ass. He had a broken leg and I felt happier. Our next meeting wouldn't take place for eleven years. I guess that's where this story truly begins.

I was in desperate need of a job and so I blackmailed my cousin Vinnie into hiring me on as a Bounty Hunter and one of the cases I landed was Joe Morelli. To say Morelli was less than thrilled when I met up with him would be an understatement. But, he'd easily left me standing, watching him drive away. Morelli was in one of those ambulances. He'd been shot and was on his way to St. Francis Hospital.

That's about the same time I met the other man in my life. Ricardo Carlos Manoso, Aka Ranger, Aka Batman, was a bad ass Bounty Hunter who did high bonds captures for Vinnie. Connie Rizzoli, Vinnie's secretary called Ranger and asked him to meet me and give me some pointers. I think I amused Ranger more than anything. He laughed when he found out Vinnie gave me Morelli. Ranger helped me buy a gun and gave me some pointers. I couldn't help but remember our first meeting was the first time Ranger had called me Babe. Oh, it didn't have nearly the meaning then as it had now...but that was the first. Ranger was in one of those ambulances. He'd been shot and was on his way to St. Francis Hospital.

My mind was racing with everything that had happened. I remembered going after Morelli when he was FTA. I'd taken his Jeep Cherokee hoping to draw him out. I'd disabled it so he wouldn't be able to just come and drive off with it and Morelli was pissed at that. He handcuffed me naked to my shower and searched my apartment for the part he needed to make the Jeep run. I had to call Ranger to come rescue me. I couldn't help but remember that was the first time he'd rescued me. I still had nightmares about Ramirez. The vision of a naked and bloody Lula tied to my fire escape as Ramirez's special present for me was something I don't think I could ever forget. When Morelli approached me with a deal I agreed to help him, but when we found what he'd been looking for he tried to welsh on our deal, saying he wasn't going in till he had irrefutable proof of his innocence. He said I couldn't take him in unless he let me and I couldn't do anything about it. I called him a jerk and shut the truck door on him and drove him to the police station. Man was he pissed when they let him out.

It wasn't till I went home that I learned Jimmy Alpha was behind the whole sorry mess. His plan was to wait till Ramirez raped and killed me before killing Ramirez and making it look like I did it. I managed to get to my gun but Alpha shot me in the ass. I felt my hand go around my gun inside my purse and I opened fire, not stopping till the gun was empty.

I was jolted from my memories by a voice saying, "He's flat lining!"

It felt like my heart stopped. I heard myself saying, "Don't you die on me damn it! I didn't come to this point just to loose you."

When I heard the beeping indicating his heart was going again I felt relieved, but knew it could still go either way. I kissed his face and whispered, "Don't leave me. I love you. I can't make it if you don't."

I sat staring into space. This ride seemed to be happening in slow motion. Again my thoughts went back. They went back to when I was after Kenny Mancuso. I'd gotten Kenny's phone bill and Morelli had a contact check out a number. Funny thing, when Morelli left he took Kenny's phone bill with him. I didn't trust Morelli not to hold back on me. Seems he always wanted to know what I had but didn't want to share what he knew with me. At one point I'd taken a skip to the police station and come out to find Morelli leaning against my car. He was looking to see what I'd turned up on Kenny. I'd told him I thought we were a team and he said there were all kinds of teams. I'd told him what it came down to is him wanting me to share information without giving me any in return and in the end he would spirit Kenny away and cut me out of my recovery. _(p. 46-47 TFTD)_ Eventually I managed to get a little info from Morelli and learned the missing guns were shipped in caskets and Spiro, Kenny, and Moogey had been in it together.

I finally caught Kenny at Stiva's while searching for Grandma Mazur. Kenny had put her in one of the body coolers in the wall. He'd pulled her out thinking she might be frozen but since he hadn't turned the temp. down on the unit she was very much alive and pissed to boot. Somehow, her gun was fired and with all the ammo in the room the place was ablaze in no time. I got grandma Mazur out and when I saw Kenny emerging from the basement, I ran at him and tackled him. I refused to let go of him till Morelli had told me he had him and wasn't letting him go.

I turned and focused my gaze on the man lying on the stretcher. I clenched my hands and prayed harder than I'd ever prayed before. I begged God not to take him from me. I looked out the window but I wasn't seeing the scenery whizzing by as we sped towards St. Francis. Instead I was seeing myself sitting in Vinnie's office and him telling me he was giving me an FTA. He handed me Uncle Mo's file and I argued with him to no avail. I just knew I was going to be a Pariah for going after uncle Mo and I was right.

One night when I was checking out the candy store I heard someone coming and hid. When the door opened I turned the mag-light on in the intruders face and went flying through the air. I woke to find Ronald Anders had been shot dead and I had a headache that led me to believe I had a concussion. I got a call from Eddie and he warned me I'd better have all my ducks in a row in case Morelli wanted to charge me. Seems there were those in the department that wanted to pin the murder on me. After all, Anders was one of Vinnie's skips and I worked for Vinnie.

When Morelli stopped by to talk to me I pretended not to be home. Then when he went out to his car and stayed in the lot staking out my apartment...well I called Ranger and arranged to meet before calling Lula for a ride. I told her to pick me up in front and not go to the lot.

Later when I was at my parents for supper, Morelli showed up and said he wanted to take a ride later to talk with me. I snuck out the back and waited till he left before coming back. Unfortunately my mom had given Morelli the whole cake to take with him and I got no dessert. When I got to my apartment later I saw a light was on and got a look at Morelli through the window. I found his car and kicked the tire. It set off his car alarm. One of my neighbors opened fire thinking someone was steeling a car. When I finally called Morelli he told me he wanted to talk. I went up after deciding if he'd wanted to arrest me he would have already. What he wanted was to run over what had really happened at the candy store. So many of my dealings with Morelli were off the record...at least I'd thought they were. Anyway...

I'd gotten a tip that Mo was at the candy store and called Ranger to help me. Sure enough Mo was there but he got away and in so doing he took Ranger'_s "black BMW, limited production 850 Ci". (p. 135 TTGD) _So now Ranger was stepping in to help me. I debated whether that was a good thing, because as good as I knew Ranger was I wasn't sure he wouldn't just shoot Mo for stealing his car. With Ranger's help I'd made some progress, then we got word that Mo had left Ranger's car in his garage and my old school teacher who just happened to be Mo's neighbor had the key to the garage. Once Ranger got his car back he told me Mo was back on my plate.

Another time I'd gotten a tip Mo was in his store I called Ranger for back up and headed out. I was attacked by three men. One of them shot mace in my face and they made all kinds of threats. One of them lit a cigarette and burned the back of my hand before they were scared of by the arrival of a car and voices. It was Morelli who'd shown up. When I'd asked him how he knew I was there he said he accessed my messages. He fixed me a sundae and we talked. I mentioned that it was hot and didn't smell too good and he said he didn't want to say anything because he thought it might be me. When we figured it wasn't either of us we investigated and the smell seemed to be coming from the basement. We poked around enough to know the cause of the smell and then Morelli called in the crime scene experts. I sat in his car while they pulled four bodies out of Mo's cellar. Funny, even though Mo was suspected of killing four men, he was lauded a hero because the dead men were drug dealers.

Lula and I were out and about and spotted Mo by a car with what looked to be a rug on top the car. Mo saw us and took off. We gave chase and figured out the thing on top wasn't a carpet just before the strings broke and the garbage bags blew away. Next thing we knew a dead body was on Lula's windshield. We stuffed the body in the trunk with the legs sticking out and headed for Eddie's house. I knew he'd help me. He was a friend first and a cop second. When he wasn't home Lula wanted to know what we were going to do now.

" _I'm thinking. I'm thinking." The problem was that I could only come up with one other person who might be able to help me out. Joe Morelli. Not someone I wanted to see in my present bedraggled condition. And not someone I wanted to owe an additional favor. And not someone I totally trusted to choose me over the Trenton Police Department.(p. 216-217 TTGD)_

We drove to Morelli's and I told him what happened. He wasn't pleased but told us to follow him to the station. We did and the crime scene guys came out and did their job. One of the guys who'd come out was Arnie Rupp. _A man in jeans, black Trenton PD ball cap and red and black plaid wool jacket stood next to him. Rupp asked the man if he'd completed the paperwork on the Runion job. The man said, not yet. He'd finish it up first thing in the morning. _

_I stared at the man and little alarms went off in my brain._

_The man stared back at me. Noncommittal. Cop face. Unyielding.(p. 222 TTGD)_

Morelli came over and said he was sending Lula and I home. I asked who the man was standing next to Rupp.

_"Mickey Maglio. Major crimes. Robbery detective."_

_"Remember when I was telling you about the men in the ski masks and coveralls? The leader, the one who burned my hand and offered me money, had a smokers voice. Jersey City accent. I know you don't want to hear this, but I swear, Maglio sounds just like him. And he's the right height and the right build."_

_"You never saw his face?"_

_I shook my head. "No."_

_"Maglio's a good cop." Morelli said, "He's got three kids and a pregnant wife."_

_"I don't know," I said. "I could be wrong. I'm c-c-cold. Maybe I'm not thinking right."_

_Morelli wrapped his arm around me and dragged me towards a waiting squad car. "I'll look into it. In the meantime let's keep it to ourselves." (pg 223?)_

Morelli had stopped by later and after he left I'd called Mary Lou and asked if she'd help me spy on Morelli. I'd just returned to my apartment a while later and the phone rang.

_I answered it with a tentative hello._

_Pause on the other end._

_"Hello," I repeated._

_"I hope that little discussion we had last time meant something to you," the man said. "Because if I find out you've opened your mouth about any of this, I'm going to come get you. And it's not going to be nice."_

_"Maglio?"_

_The caller hung up._

Morelli found out who Mo's lawyer was and it was none other than my ex. He asked me if I wanted to tag along and if I asked if there was a price he'd said there's always a price. He told me where to meet him.

I met him and he asked me some questions about my ex, Dickie Orr. He threw a $10 on the table and told me to order some pie. I told him he'd said he would take me with him and he said he'd lied. He told to me to wait and he'd be back after he talked to Orr. I nursed the cake for 20 minutes then paid the bill and wondered if Morelli had left me hanging. Wouldn't be the first time. When he finally showed up I asked him what Mo had to trade.

_"Information."_

_I raised my eyebrows._

"_That's all I can tell you." Morelli said_

_Morelli was screwing me over again. "Thanks for nothing."_

"_It's the best I can do."_

"_Your best isn't very good is it?"_

I called Lula and asked her to meet me because I intended talking to Dickie myself. We made the trip to Dickie's office but he gave me nothing. The next time I went to see him I was solo. That time I did get more out of him. He told me everything he'd told Morelli.

_I felt a painful stab in the midsection. Morelli had withheld that information from me. He'd never told me about the gun connection and the floater. Now it all made sense. Now I realized why Morelli was interested in Mo from the very beginning. And why Mo had jumped bail."_

Next I got a tip and what I learned had me going to Vinnie. If anyone could get this information it would be him. Sure enough, in no time he had an address for me. I called Ranger for backup and waited till he joined me. I was going in after giving Ranger time to get in behind the house. I was talking to Mo and Ranger came in behind him. Mo was a little jumpy when we heard a car on the gravel but that ended up being Lula. Just then the reverend Bill arrived with a van load of men. They had a rocket launcher and my car went up in smoke. Damn! Just when I'd gotten it fixed so it was running good. Ranger told us to head out the back and he'd cover us till we got away. I didn't want to go but he told me he'd done this before. We headed out. I found out on the trail that Mo'd taken a bullet so I sent Lula for help. Seems the cops were following the good reverend and his followers and Morelli was following me. They all showed up and we gave our statements. Seems people from all walks were in on the killing of the drug dealers, including cops.

I was jolted from my memories when we came to a stop and the EMT's unloaded the stretcher and rushed towards the E.R. I quickly followed, grabbing hold of one of the hands laying limp on the gurney. When he was wheeled into a treatment room I was barred from entry. The nurse was as gentle as she could be, but she wouldn't budge no matter how much I plead. Finally, I nodded. I had calls to make. There were people who would want to be here. I made my way out to the waiting room and placed the call that would start the ball rolling. I knew the person I called would take care of calling everyone else. Once I'd made the call I went over and found a seat. Now all I could do was wait. Wait and pray.

Again my thoughts were drawn inward. I remembered the time I was looking to bring in Maxine Nowicki. That was one for the books because I picked up a stalker along the way. Maxine was arrested when her boyfriend Eddie Kuntz said she stole his car. He gave me a list of people that might know where Maxine was. I checked with her mother but no luck. Imagine my surprise when I went to dinner at my folks and grandma Mazur told me she'd invited a date for me. When she'd opened the door to my "date" it was none other than Eddie Kuntz. I did find out Maxine had contacted him and told him she was sending him something airmail.

I checked with Margie, a co-worker of Maxine's, and she had no idea where Maxine might be. She'd mentioned having to get her finger re-attached because there'd been an accident and it had been chopped off. I had an idea there was more than what she was telling me.

The next day when I talked to Eddie he wanted me to come see about the note. Seems Maxine's idea of airmail was a note tied to a brick thrown through his front window. The note was in code so I'd taken it with me to try and decode it. I checked with the neighbors in my building to see if any of them could help with it and Lorraine said her nephew Slavatore Sweet would be able to help. She warned me he was a little odd though.

Turns out Sally Sweet was able to figure out the clue and from that I knew I had to look in the big garbage bin behind Cluck In A Bucket. There was no way I was climbing in there to retrieve the clue so I called Kuntz. He called a guy and had him come and dump the contents of the bin onto the pavement and spread it around. I retrieved the next clue and firmly denied knowing the man.

When I returned home I had a call from Ranger. He wanted me to call him. Seems he was after Vito Grizolli's nephew Kenny and wanted me to do a distraction. I wasn't too keen on the idea but ended up doing it anyway. Everything was going great until Kenny's mom sent someone to get him. Terry Gilman came to see what the hold up was and asked Kenny if he knew who I was. She told him I was a Bounty Hunter. Well Kenny started pushing me around and I got him in the face with my hairspray. His mother and uncle Vito came to see what was going on and I told them Kenny missed his court date. Vito told Kenny to go with me and let the lawyers do their job. Ranger was outside waiting for us.

A while after that Lula, Sally and I went to Mrs. Nowicki's house because the second clue said to look under the bench on the porch. I used a flashlight to look under the porch and saw yellow eyes moving. Lula didn't think a full figured gal would fit in that little bitty space and I said how I didn't think I'd fit, because I'd seen something moving under there and there were bound to be spiders. We happened to glance in the window and saw Mrs. Nowicki lying on the floor with a bloody towel wrapped around her head. We called the police and while we were checking things out Mrs. Nowicki woke up. We gave our statements to the police and I decided to come back later and try to retrieve the clue.

When I got home, Morelli was in my hallway with a bag from Pino's. I wasn't too happy with Morelli since he'd disappeared for 5 months without a word, but there was no way I'd turn down a meatball sub. I let Morelli in. Seems he thought I might want an up-date on Mrs. Nowicki. She'd been scalped. Morelli asked me about my case and I filled him in. We got into a little disagreement and I called him a dysfunctional human being and he said I was fucking frightening. Our disagreement led to a make out session and I mentioned being safe. It took him a few moments to get my meaning and when he did he said he could go get some but the mood would have disappeared by the time he got back. We ended up watching a Rangers game and I was replaced by a raspberry popsicle.

I was getting anxious for Morelli to go home so I could head over and retrieve the clue from under the porch, when Sally Sweet showed up. Morelli refused to give us privacy and the two of them had a little scuffle and some one up-manship going on. Sally had retrieved the clue and it said for Kuntz to meet Maxine at their spot.

I'd been seeing the same vehicle following me around and when I went to check it out I found none other than my arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt behind the wheel. Seems she had papers saying she was authorized to go after Maxine. I headed for the bonds office to give Vinnie a piece of my mind. Joyce followed me but stayed in her car. Vinnie wasn't there but I told Connie and Lula about it and they were as outraged as I was. Lula went out and shot out the back tire on Joyce's Cherokee so she wouldn't be able to follow me. The two of us headed for Sally's to see if he could help us with a disguise. Sally wasn't going to be left out anymore than Lula was so the three of us headed to the park. We hung around for awhile but the only thing that happened was a guy on another bench got a pie in the face. I figured Kuntz had picked the wrong bench and managed to get the clue from the pie and we were on our way.

When I got home from the park there was a note on my door scribbled in black marker. _ "I hate you! And I'll get even!"_ I also had a message on my machine to call Helen Badijian, the manager at the seven-eleven. She was busy but said she might have something for me if I could drop by around 10 p.m. Kuntz called to see if I wanted to have a drink with him. I declined. He said he didn't think I was making much progress because all we ever got was more notes. I told him I was meeting the manager of the seven-eleven later and she might have something for me. Kuntz asked me why I was going later and not now. I got the feeling there was more to this case then he let on.

Later when I was on my fire escape eating pop tarts and drinking beer, I noticed Joyce was parked across the street. I called Ranger and told him about my little problem. He told me to hold tight and he'd see what he could do. When Ranger arrived he got in the passenger side of Joyce's Cherokee and five minutes later climbed out and headed in my direction. I raced downstairs and skidded to a stop in front of Ranger.

"Well?"

"_How bad do you want to get rid of her? You want me to shoot her? Break a bone?"_

"_No!"_

_Ranger shrugged. "Then she's gonna stick."_

_There was the sound of a car engine catching and headlights flashed on across the street. We both turned to watch Joyce pull away and disappear around the corner._

"_She'll be back," Ranger said. "But not tonight."_

"_How'd you get her to leave?"_

_" Told her I was gonna spend the next twelve hours ruining you for all other men, and so she might as well go home."_

_I could feel the heat rush to my face._

_Ranger gave me the wolf smile. "I lied about it being tonight," he said. (Pg. 95 FTS)_

I was glad not to have to worry about Joyce following me to the seven-eleven. When I made my way into the store though, I learned the owner had gotten a call from the police to tell him the store was un-manned. Helen was nowhere to be found. I did pick up a book of matches that said Parrot Bar in Point Pleasant. When I got home I called Morelli and told him, asking him to keep an eye out for her.

_"Probably Arnold's right," Morelli said. "Probably she's at a bar with a couple of friends."_

"_You really think so?"_

"_No," Morelli said. "I was just saying that to get you off the phone. I'm watching a ball game."_

"_There's something that really bothers me here that I didn't tell you."_

"_Oh boy."_

"_Eddie Kuntz was the only one who knows I was going to see Helen Badijian."_

"_And you think he got to her first."_

"_It crossed my mind."_

"_You know there was a time when I'd say to myself...How does she do it? How does she get mixed up with these weirdos? But now I don't even question it. In fact, I've come to expect such things of you."_

"_So are you going to help me or what?" (pg. 99 FTS)_

Morelli agreed to make a few calls but I still felt dissatisfied. I decided to take a ride over to Kuntz and make sure he didn't have Helen tied to a chair at his place. I was watching Kuntz through his front window when a hand clamped over my mouth and I heard Morelli's voice. He told me I needed to get out of there, he found Helen. Just then there were noises and Morelli told me to run. Once I got to my car I didn't stop till I was parked in my lot. I got out of my car and leaned against it non-nonchalantly. Morelli came over to me and told me he'd found Helen dead and that her finger had been chopped off and there were bruises on her neck. When I asked if she'd been choked to death he said that's what it looked like.

The next morning Sally called while I was waiting for my coffee to get done. He told me what the clue said. When I called Eddie to tell him about the clue he told me Maxine had been there the night before. I was relieved he thought it was Maxine and had no clue it was actually me. When I told him what the clue said he looked around and found the box on his back stoop. Kuntz didn't want to open it because he was worried it was a bomb. I told him that wasn't Maxine's style so he insisted if I felt it was so safe I should open it. I told him I'd be over later. I was debating having a second cup of coffee when there was a knock on the door. It was Maxine with a bunch of flowers covering her face so I wouldn't recognize her till after she was inside.

Maxine cuffed me to my fridge and we had a little talk. She wanted me to stop helping Kuntz. She wanted him to do his own dirty work. I told her there was more going on here and asked her if she knew about Margie and her mother. I asked if she was the one who left the message on my door and she told me no. When she left I also told her about Joyce as she closed the door. I was stuck there for awhile before I heard someone rattling the doorknob and called out for help. Sally swung the door open and I sent him down to get Dillon to help me get free.

As I was headed out to my car Joyce pulled into the parking lot and told me she didn't need me to find Maxine anymore because she had contacts. I continued towards my car and found a note that read, _I said I'd get even and I meant it. I've been watching you and I know he was here. This is your last warning. Leave my boyfriend alone! Next time I soak something with gasoline I'll strike a match to it. (pg. 112 FTS)_

My car was soaked inside and out with gasoline. Only one name came to mind when I thought of the word boyfriend and that was Morelli. I figured this was all related to him somehow. I called Lula and told her I needed a ride. We went over to Kuntz and I told him the box was safe to open. When he figured out it was dog poop in the bag and he had to sift through it I told him I had things to do so he could call me later and read the clue over the phone. Then I called Morelli and told him his girlfriend left a message on my car. He said he didn't have a girlfriend. I told him about my car and he didn't know who it could be but suggested maybe it was Maxine.

Lula and I headed back to my lot to asses the damage and old lady Nowicki pulled into my lot. She told me she was leaving town and she wanted me to know Maxine was going to Atlantic City. Said she thought it would be better if I found her rather than the other people who might be looking for her. She told me where in Atlantic City she thought Maxine would be going and then flicked the cigarette she'd been smoking up in the air. When it landed it rolled under my car and well, lets just say my car went up like a Christmas Tree. Too bad Lula's car was parked so close because a fireball erupted and landed on her car and it went up too.

When I went up to my apartment I had a call for Kuntz and he read me the message over the phone. I called Sally with the message and asked what kind of car he drove. He had a Porsche and didn't think we could fit Lula in with us even if we greased her. I went over to my parents to borrow the Buick. My mother went into her spiel about other people's daughters not blowing up cars. _We were at the table eating dinner and my father had his head bent over his plate, and his shoulders were shaking._

"_What?" my mother said to him._

"_I don't know. It just struck me as funny. Some men could go a lifetime and never have their kid blow up a car, but I have a daughter who's knocked off three cars and burned down a funeral home. Maybe that's some kind of record."_

When I left my parents house I had the Buick and Grandma had joined the party headed for Atlantic City. We saw Maxine but she got away. Thinking about it I decided we'd been set up. It was too easy for Maxine to get away. Like the car was there waiting for her. We headed back to Trenton with Grandma, Lula and Sally falling asleep withing 15 minutes. When I got to my apartment building there were emergency vehicles were dotting the lot. I parked and ran across the street, checking to see where the fire had started. My apartment. The words on the note came back to me, _'Next time I'll strike a match.' (pg. 135 FTS)_ My only thoughts were for Rex. One of my neighbors stepped forward and I was relieved to see Rex had been rescued.

I went up and gathered what I could. Unfortunately the one room I wouldn't have minded being torched was relatively unscathed. Damn! I mean if they were going to torch my apartment, the least they could have done was take out the bathroom. I headed for my car. I sat for a few minutes contemplating where to go. I didn't want to put my parents in danger. I couldn't go to a hotel because there were none in Trenton. If I called Ranger he'd probably have to shoot me in the morning because no one knew where he lived. Staying with Lula was a scary thought. I finally decided to head over to Morelli's. I called him on my cell. I told him about my apartment and he asked where I was. When I told him outside his house he told me to wait in my car till he came down. He opened the door and I took Rex's cage and went into his house. We sat at the table with oreos and milk and talked. He asked why I was driving the Buick and I told him my car exploded. When a tear slid down my face Morelli asked if this was for real and I said yes, what did he think, that I was making it up? Apparently he thought I was using it as an excuse to climb into his bed.

Next day Lula and I headed to Point Pleasant and found Maxine. We'd just went in the house when Joyce Barnhardt broke in with a couple other women and chaos ensued. Maxine got away. When I got back to Morelli's, he was slouched on the sofa. I asked if he had a bad day. He told me he'd checked out my apartment and car story and they were indeed gone. _What, did he really think I would have lied to him about that?_ Then he told me his mother heard we were living together and she expected us for dinner the next night. Then he told me the case he'd been working on for the past four months collapsed. I went up to take a shower and had just started drying off when Morelli knocked on the door and said Kuntz was on the phone. I opened the door enough to get the phone and Morelli's eyes darkened. Morelli interrupted my eventual conversation with Kuntz, telling him later and things got hot and heavy. We ended up in bed and after a long dry spell I felt very relaxed in the morning.

The minute I walked into the bonds office Connie made a comment about me 'doing it'. When Ranger walked into the office he took one look at me and smiled. How is it the whole fucking world suddenly knew I'd gotten laid? I went along with Ranger to pick up a FTA. Ranger gave me a little background on the skip and I was having second thoughts about helping him but he wouldn't let me back out. He mentioned something about doing this because it was a service to the community and I asked if that was why he did it he told me, _"No. I do this for the money. And because hunting people is what I do best." (pg. 173 FTS) _Unfortunately Norvil had thrown eggs at me and they'd dried in my hair. Morelli tried to fix it by cutting the worst of it out. Then we had to go to his mother's for dinner.

I was a little upset when Morelli described our relationship the same way he'd described his and Terry Gilman's relationship. Lucky for me I got to leave early because I had work to do. Grandma Bella said that was no work to be doing for someone who was expecting. I told her I really wasn't expecting and she said a lot I knew. She'd been to the other side. Morelli gave me a ride to the bar where we were going with Kuntz for the next clue. Joyce showed up and we got in a little skirmish. Lula stunned her and in the chaos Kuntz disappeared. I went out and asked Morelli if he'd seen him. He said he'd gotten in his car and left alone and no one followed him. I went back inside to look for Lula and Sally and _was jostled forward and then sharply yanked back, face-to-face with an angry woman I didn't recognize. _

"_I knew it was you!" she said. "You bitch."_

_I knocked her hands off me. "What's your problem?"_

"_You're my problem. Everything was fine before you came along."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_You know what I'm talking about. And if you have any sense in that big bimbo head_ _of yours you'll get out of town. You'll go far away. Because if you don't I'm gonna find you and turn you into a pile of ashes...just like your apartment." (pg. 188 FTS)_

When I returned to Morelli's truck after talking with the bartender and finding out a woman had asked him to pass Kuntz a note, I got to thinking about what grandma Bella had said and smacked myself in the forehead with the heel of my hand. _The thing is, while I was in love with Morelli for all these years, I'd always known it was best if nothing came of it. Loving Morelli was like loving cheesecake. Hours of misery on the Stairmaster, working off ugly fat, in return for a moment of blissful consumption._

_All right, maybe it wasn't as bad as all that. Morelli had matured. How much he'd matured I couldn't nail down. Truth is, I didn't know a lot about Morelli. What I knew was that I had a hard time trusting him. Past experience led me to believe blind faith in Morelli might not be a smart thing. (pg. 191 FTS)_

The next morning Morelli and I swung by Kuntz's place then headed for Point Pleasant. Morelli broke the window and we looked around the house where Maxine had been staying. When we got back to his place he had a call the case he'd been working on had just heated up. When he returned after checking things out, and we were just starting an argument when his front window was shattered when someone threw a bottle with a fire blackened rag sticking out of it. The bottle hit the carpet so no fire, lucky for us.

Sally called me for help. Morelli and I went over and Morelli helped him by tying up the corset and I helped him with the makeup. Sally invited us to the club and we followed. The minute I saw Sugar I knew he was the woman from the bar and I told Morelli. Morelli got up close and personal with Sugar and then we left so he could run a check on Sugar and the car he was driving.

The next day when Morelli returned I told him I saw him earlier. Then when he asked if I made him I told him I recognized the car. He admitted he was watching the seven-eleven and when I asked for drugs he said funny money. Then my mother called and we got sucked into supper. Then Lula stopped by and told me who Joyce's connection was. We checked it out and the guy promised to tell us when Mrs. Nowicki came by. I had a weird thought and asked how Mrs. Nowicki paid him. He showed me the bill and I traded twenties with him. When I got to Morelli's I showed it to him and sure enough it was counterfeit. I told Morelli where I got it since I knew he'd get the information out of me anyway.

Sally came by Morelli's and told us Sugar tried to kill him. Morelli set up a decoy and made it look like Sally and I were staying with him but we were really staying with my folks. I called and talked to Ranger and he said our best bet for drawing Sugar out was to increase his discomfort level. Sally and I made the rounds of the places Sugar frequented. We got to the last place and people stopped Sally to let him know Sugar was looking for him. I had to visit the ladies room and that's when Sugar showed up. Sugar had a gun and he took me outside. I managed to get away and Sugar started firing. I made my way to an apartment building nearby and Sugar came after me. We struggled and I kneed Sugar where it counts. He rolled into a fetal position and I rolled over and looked up to see Ranger standing there smiling at me asking me if I needed help. Sally gave me a ride back to Morelli's.

The next day I stopped by Kuntz's and checked out his side of the duplex and found nothing. I found a key to the Glick's side and used it to snoop around. I made my way down to the basement and found a dead body. I headed back upstairs and the Glick's were standing there in the kitchen. I got them talking, trying to stall so they wouldn't shoot me and after Lula and Leo exchanged gunfire where no one got hurt, the police showed up. Morelli was there and when he went down to the basement he came back to tell me the man downstairs was the man he'd been watching. While we were standing there talking about everything, Joyce showed up and Kuntz got out of her vehicle. Kuntz told us where Maxine was headed. We got in Lula's car and headed out. We caught up to them to find Joyce had them pulled over and on the ground. Lula said she'd help Joyce get the women into her car and when she went to hand her Maxine, Lula stunned Joyce. I un-cuffed Mrs. Nowicki and Margie. I told them I had no authority to take them in but that the treasury was looking for them and they should turn themselves in. We loaded Maxine into Lula's car. When we got to the police station, Leo and Betty were being taken in the back. I said we'd take Maxine through the front so she wouldn't have to deal with Leo. When Morelli found out I let Mrs. Nowicki and Margie go he wasn't too happy.

When Morelli came by my parents he was driving a Duc. He thought I'd be interested to know how it went. With everything that went on, the only charges that might stick were the original charges against Maxine. My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds in the waiting room. I heard angry voices and looked up to see Angie and Bella Morelli ranting at the hospital staff for denying them the right to go back and be with Joe. Bella glared at the hapless nurse and said, "I give you the eye."

My eyes darted round the room searching. My gaze landed on Tank and our gazes connected. He nodded and made his way over to the two women. I heard him ask the women to have a seat and let the nurse do her job. He told them that they weren't helping the situation with their demands. Grandma Bella started telling Tank she was giving him the eye. He told her to stop making a scene. Everyone was dealing with grief and she didn't need to be adding to it.

I stood and walked over to the window, staring out into nothing. I didn't see the view outside the window. Instead I was looking inside. Remembering. That was the point where things started changing. I became confused between what was familiar, what I'd felt from the age of 6 and what I was coming to feel now as a woman.

_Here is part 1 of The beginning. Sorry the majority is background from books 1-4, but it is necessary for what is to follow. Part 2 will be just as heavy background from books 5-8. I will state that I take the liberty to change what I need to in order to make this story work the way I want it to. I hope that when it's over you will like the overall product. Sorry I can't let you know if it's a Babe or Cupcake yet but that will become clear soon too. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: I really want to keep it a secret for now who she ends up with. Although you may not be happy with what Morelli/Ranger has done, he is not a totally bad person. _

_(From the end of Chapter 1)_

_**I stood and walked over to the window, staring out into nothing. I didn't see the view outside the window. Instead I was looking inside. Remembering. That was the point where things started changing. I became confused between what was familiar, what I'd felt from the age of 6 and what I was coming to feel now as a woman. **_

Chapter 2: The Beginning, Part 2

That's about the time things started changing in my life as well. We were having a slow period at the bonds office. FTA's were scarce and Vinnie was extremely happy because he wasn't loosing money and he wasn't having to pay Bounty Hunters. I on the other hand had no money in the bank and my rent was due as well as all my other bills. Plus, it would be nice to be able to buy some food. I went by the bonds office and plead with Connie. She gave me the one skip we had, Randy Briggs. My fee would only net me $70 but hey. I got a call from my mom and decided to swing by their house. Seems my Uncle Fred was missing and my aunt wanted me to find him. I headed over to my aunts and looked around. My aunt told me Uncle Fred was having trouble with the garbage company. He'd paid them and they skipped picking up his garbage. He was going to see them on the day he disappeared. She gave me some pictures she found in Fred's desk. There were severed body parts in the photos. I told her she should give them to the police. She agreed to let me take them, I figured I could take them to Morelli.

I called my cousin Eddie to find out what there was on uncle Fred's disappearance. I thanked him but when he wanted to know if I was grateful enough to babysit for his kids I passed. Next I called Morelli. I left messages for him to call me. When I was talking to my mom and grandma wondering where Fred could have gone I learned Fred had a girlfriend. Morelli called while I was talking to mom and grandma and he was wondering what the disaster was. I asked him if he could meet me and we agreed on the sandwich shop next to the hospital. I showed him the pictures and he said he'd pass them onto the cop who was handling Fred's case.

I headed to the bonds office and parked behind Ranger's car. I asked Connie if they had anything else come in and she said no. Ranger was in talking to Vinnie so I went outside and waited for him.

_"Yo," I said._

_Ranger looked at me over the top of his shades. "Yo yourself."_

_I gazed longingly at his car. "Nice Mercedes."_

_"Transportation," Ranger said. "Nothing fancy."_

_Compared to what? The Batmobile? "Connie said you were talking to Vinnie."_

_"Transacting business, babe. I don't talk to Vinnie."_

_"That's sort of what I'd like to discuss with you...business. You know how you've kind of been my mentor with this bounty hunter stuff?"_

_"Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins Do Trenton."_

_"Yeah. Well the truth is, the bounty huntering isn't going all that good."_

_"No one's jumping bail."_

_"That too."_

_Ranger leaned against his car and crossed his arms over his chest. "And?"_

_"And I've been thinking maybe I should diversify."_

"And?"

_"And I thought you might help me."_

_"You talking about building a portfolio? Investing money?"_

_"No. I'm talking about making money."_

_Ranger tipped his head back and laughed softly. "Babe, you don't want to do that kind of diversifying."_

_I narrowed my eyes._

_"Okay," he said. "What did you have in mind?"_

_"Something legal."_

_"There's all kinds of legal."_

_"I want something entirely legal."_

_Ranger leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Let me explain my work ethic to you. I don't do things I feel are morally wrong. But sometimes my moral code strays from the norm. Sometimes my moral code is inconsistent with the law. Much of what I do is in that gray area just beyond entirely legal."_

_"All right then, how about steering me toward something mostly legal and definitely morally right."_

_"You sure about this?"_

_"Yes." No. Not at all._

_Ranger's face was expressionless. "I'll think about it."_

_He slipped into his car, the engine caught, and Ranger rolled away. (pg. 23 HF)_

I made another stab at bringing in Randy Briggs. The first attempt hadn't gone so good. I found he wasn't home so I figured I'd wait inside the apartment for him to return. A note was pushed under the door letting me know he knew I was inside and wasn't coming home till I left. I gave up and headed home. I took a nap and was woken to the sounds of someone entering my apartment. It was Ranger. He brought the makings for salad. We got into a conversation and I ended up asking him if he had a pure mind and body. His eyes locked with mine and he said not right then. Ranger told me he had a job for me and he'd pick me up at 5 a.m. Whoever heard of getting up at 5 a.m. for an interior decorating job, but Ranger said that's the way he liked to do things.

I had a feeling this wasn't the interior decorating job I'd thought it would be. There were three guys with Ranger when he pulled up and they definitely didn't look like interior decorators. They were dressed in SWAT clothes. When we parked at the apartment building Ranger handed out Kevlar vests and gave me a look.

_"Let me take a guess here," Ranger said, slinging an arm around my shoulder. "You forgot to bring your gun."_

_"Interior decorators don't use guns."_

_"They do in this neighborhood."_

_The men were lined up in front of me._

_"Gentlemen," Ranger said, "this is Ms. Plum."_

_The indeterminate-origin guy put his hand out. "Lester Santos."_

_The next man in line did the same. "Bobby Brown."_

_The last man was Tank. It was easy to see how he'd come by that name._

_"I better not get into trouble for this," I said to Ranger. "I'm going to be really bummed if I get arrested. I hate getting arrested."_

_Santos grinned. "Man, you don't like to get shot. You don't like to get arrested. You don't know how to have fun at all." (pg. 33-34 HF)_

Watching Ranger's team "redecorate" is an experience I'll never forget. Tank threw the dealer renting the apartment out the third floor window and I had a few minutes of panic before seeing he landed on the fire escape. I think Tank was disappointed though. Ranger explained how the "redecorating" worked and asked if I wanted to be on his team. He said he could let me have the graveyard shift with Tank. When I told him I didn't know if I was cut out for this he told me I had to believe in what I was doing. _That could be a problem. And Ranger could be a problem. I was feeling much too attracted to him. Ranger wasn't listed under 'potential boyfriends' in my Rolodex. Ranger was listed under 'crazed mercenaries'. An attraction to Ranger would be like chasing after the doomsday orgasm. (pg. 37 HF) _I told him I could give it a try and see how it went.

Ranger dropped me off and I checked my messages. There was a dinner invitation from Morelli. _"Meet you at Pino's at six," Morelli said. _

_Morelli's invitations always produced mixed emotions. The initial reaction was a sexual rush at the sound of his voice, the rush was followed by a queasy stomach while I considered his motives. (Pg. 38 HF)_ The message after Morelli's was from Mabel. She said a man had just stopped by to ask about Fred. I called Mabel back and asked what the man looked like. Grandma Mazur called a few minutes after Id hung up from Mabel and said she had a name for me. When I headed out Mrs. Bestler asked if my visitor found me. When I questioned her she said a very big African-American with hardly any hair was looking for me and she'd let him off at my floor. I saw no sign of the visitor and no one had knocked on my door.

Grandma had given me Winnie Black's name and address. Seems she was uncle Fred's woman on the side. I headed over and introduced myself and told her I was looking for Fred Shutz. We talked and I asked where her husband was. She told me he was at the park with the dog. My next stop was to talk with Axel Black. From there I went and talked with Fred's sons. I didn't learn much but one of Fred's sons said his dad had a year long disagreement with his insurance company. My next stop was my apartment so I could freshen up before my meeting with Morelli.

Morelli asked how friendly I was feeling towards him because he wanted to invite me on a date. When I told him I thought this _was_ a date he said no it was dinner so he could ask me on a date. There was a wedding coming up and he needed a date. We had a little discussion and I agreed. Morelli mentioned the case he was on getting to him. I asked if he wanted to talk about it and he said that was the last thing he wanted to do. We talked a little about uncle Fred and then Morelli told me about Benito Ramirez. I thought back to what Mrs. Bestler told me and had a feeling I knew who my visitor was. When Morelli told me Ramirez was out, he_ had said this very matter of fact, but I knew he didn't feel matter of fact. He'd put on his cop face. The one that shut down emotion. The one with the hard eyes that gave nothing away. (pg. 50 HF) _He also told me if I even suspected Ramirez was anywhere near me to let him know.

When I got home, there was a man sitting outside my apartment and I knew this was Mabel's visitor. We had a discussion where he told me he thought he'd save time by searching my apartment before I got home and when I activated the pepper spray he'd tossed me he pulled a gun and said if I sprayed him he'd have to shoot me. He told me his name was Bunchy and he _said _Fred owed him money and thought since we were both looking for Fred, we could work together.

At 12:30 I was waiting for Tank downstairs. I asked him if he knew a bookie named Bunchy and he said he didn't. We got to the apartment building on Sloan and relieved the two men there. After awhile I gave up trying not to fall out of my chair and stretched out on the floor so I could doze in comfort. I could hear Tank lean forward in his chair and opened an eye asking if it was time for another walk through. Tank said there was someone at the door and the next thing I know BANG! The man Tank had thrown through the window was standing there and Tank was out on the floor.

The man took me upstairs with him and told me to kick the door open. I tried but nothing happened. I threw myself at the door and bounced off. By this time the guy was sweating and the hand holding the gun was shaking. He fired two rounds at the door and when we went inside he demanded to know where his stuff was. I told him we'd gotten rid of everything. One of the neighbors asked what was going on and I told her to go back to her apartment and lock the door. She did and a few minutes later a little old lady came down the hall and said she couldn't sleep with all this noise going on. The man shot at her and hit the wall. She pulled out her gun and pulled the trigger as I told her no._ Next thing I know I'm strapped to a gurney. Morelli's face swam into focus and he was saying something but I couldn't hear him. He waved his hands and I saw his mouth say "Take her away" even though I heard no sound. (pg. 60 HF)_

When I was released from the hospital, Morelli gave me a ride to my apartment and I went inside to find Bunchy on my sofa sleeping. I yelled at him to get up and asked what he was doing in my apartment. He said he was worried about me because I hadn't come home the night before. I told him I'd been moonlighting and what was he anyway, my mother. Then he told me my mother called and did I really blow somebody up. I listened to my message and there was one from my mother as well as two breathing messages. Bunchy asked what was up with the heavy breathing. I told him wrong number and he asked if I'd tell him if there was a problem, because he was good at taking care of those kinds of problems. I had no problem believing him when he said that.

I got Bunchy out of the apartment and called my mom. I hung up from talking to her and took a long, hot shower. I had wrapped myself into a towel and stepped out of the bathroom to come face-to-face with Ranger. I asked him what he was doing here and he said returning my hat. He asked if I was doing the shift with Tank and I said I'd pass. He told me no problem he had other jobs I could try on. When I asked him what he said things turned up all the time. Then he pulled out my gun and said it turned up in the lobby as well. _He tucked the gun under the top edge of my towel, wedging it between my breasts, his knuckles brushing against me. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment I thought my towel might catch fire. (pg. 68 HF)_

I dressed and headed out, noticing I was being followed. I stopped and went back to find Bunchy in the car behind me. I headed for the bonds office and once inside asked Lula if she saw the guy parked behind me. I told her and Connie he said his name was Bunchy and he was a bookie. Neither one of them knew him and Lula said he didn't look like no bookie to her. I said I needed to get rid of him and Lula asked permanently. I said no, just for the day. She asked if he'd shoot back if she shot his tires out and I said probably. She told me she hates when they shoot back. I mentioned trading cars but she said friendship didn't go that far. She had another idea and went out to talk to him. Connie said I should probably sneak out while Lula had him distracted. Bunchy saw me starting to leave and said something to Lula. She grabbed him and yelled for me to go and I saw her shove herself in the window and plant a kiss on him as I fled the scene.

I headed to Mabel's first and then to the strip mall where Fred's car had been found. The bank was located at the end of the strip mall and I headed inside. Leona told me she'd seen Fred get money out the day he disappeared and then he'd talked to Shempsky. I asked if she knew what he'd wanted to talk to Allen Shempsky about and she said no. Shempsky's door was open so I stuck my head inside. I told him I was looking for my uncle and heard he stopped in to see him. I was told Fred was thinking about taking out a loan. My next stop was the RGC office. I introduced myself to the receptionist Martha Deeter and explained I was looking for my uncle and was told he stopped in here. She said she remembered speaking to him and he went home to get a canceled check but never returned. The man next to her said maybe he could help. He said they were having a lot of problems with the computer recognizing customers. Martha said it wasn't the computers it was just people trying to gyp big business. They got into a squabble with Martha saying it wasn't the computers and Larry Lipinski saying it was. I slipped out the door not wanting to be around if the fight got physical.

Lula and I made a failed attempt to capture Briggs. As we were leaving I told her about Ramirez being out again. When we got out to the lot Bunchy was there waiting for us and he didn't look happy. I headed to my parents for dinner. I was in the mood to make Bunchy as uncomfortable as possible and decided to take a nap at my parents. Next thing I know it's morning. When I'd dressed and made my way downstairs, grandma looked up as I entered the kitchen and asked if I went to the garbage company the day before. When I said I had, she told me Martha Deeter was shot to death. When I left my parents I went over and knocked on Bunchy's window. He was sleeping and woke up at my knock. I asked if he'd been there all night and he said it looked like it. When I asked if he'd knocked anybody off last night he asked who'd bought the farm. I told him Martha Deeter and he wondered why he'd want to kill her. I told him I just thought I'd ask and he said it never hurts to ask.

When I got home there were two messages on my machine. One was from Ranger, he had a job for me. The second was Ramirez. I erased Ranger's message and popped the cassette out of the machine and loaded a new one. I called Ranger and asked about the job. He told me it was a chauffeur job and to make sure I was dressed. I asked if he meant the suit and he said, the gun. I scrounged around for lunch and then headed over to Mabel's. We were talking when the RGC truck by-passed Mabel's house. I called them up and got Larry. I told him about it and he told me it was because she hadn't paid her bill. I said we'd talked about this before and he said Martha was right and we were just trying to gyp them. Mabel mentioned how the garbage would smell and I said I'd take care of it. I loaded the garbage in the trunk of my car and drove it to the garbage company. I pitched the bag on the sidewalk in front of the RGC office and sped away.

Then I got to thinking about Fred. Suppose Fred had seen someone do what I'd done or someone had seen Fred do that. I got to thinking about the pictures and wondered if they might be tied in there somewhere.

I headed back to my apartment and dressed for my chauffeuring job. Bunchy asked if I was going to a funeral and I told him I had a job. I told him I thought he could keep an eye out for Mabel while I was gone. We had a few words and when I told him it would help if he'd tell me what he was really after. He told me he was after Fred.

The chauffeuring job didn't work out so well for me. My passenger, a 15 year old sheik drove me nuts and finally to shut him up I went into McDonald's to get him a drink and the little creep took off with the car and left me stranded. I called Ranger and told him. He said he'd get back to me and called back 10 minutes later to tell me he found the sheik. Ranger asked if I needed a ride and I said I could call Lula. We went to the mall so I could get an outfit for the wedding. When we got back outside to Lula's car there was a note there. After a short discussion were quickly got in the car thinking maybe it was Ramirez who'd sent the note.

Lula dropped me off at my apartment and I hurried inside taking the stairs instead of the elevator. I kicked off my shoes and stripped out of the pantyhose and was listening to my messages when there was a knock on the door. I looked out the peephole and saw Ranger. Ranger asked if he was interrupting anything and I told him Lula and I had gone shopping.

_"Recreational therapy?"_

_"Yeah, but I also needed a new dress." I held the dress up for him to see. "Lula sort of talked me into this. What do you think?"_

_Ranger's eyes darkened and his mouth tightened into a small smile. My face got warm and the dress slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor._

_Ranger picked the dress up and handed it to me._

_"Okay," I said, blowing a strand of hair off my forehead. "Guess I know what you think of the dress."_

_"If you knew, you wouldn't be standing here," Ranger said. "If you knew, you'd have yourself barricaded in the bedroom with your gun in your hand." (pg. 103-104 HF)_

Ranger spotted the note on the counter and said someone else shared his opinion of the dress and I told him I thought it was Ramirez. Ranger left and I checked my messages. I had one from my mother. I'd just finished listening to the message from my mom when another knock sounded on the door. I looked out to see Bunchy. When I opened the door but left the security chain on, Bunchy wanted to know why the Rambo guy got in but he didn't. I told him I worked with him and Bunchy told me I work with him too and didn't he just do a surveillance shift for me. I asked if anything happened and he said he wouldn't tell me till I let him in. I let him in and he told me nothing happened. Then he saw the dress I'd bought and asked if I needed a date. I told him I already had a date and Bunchy asked who it was. I told him Joe Morelli and he said, _"Oh, man, I know him. I can't believe you're going with Morelli. The guy is a loser. Excuse me for saying so, but he porks everyone he meets. You shouldn't have anything to do with him. You could do better." (pg. 106 HF)_

The next morning Morelli called me to remind me I needed to fill out a report on what happened on Sloan Street and to remind me about the wedding. I called Larry at RGC and told him I had the canceled check. He told me to bring it in and he'd credit the account. When I headed down to my car, Ramirez was there behind me. I pulled out my gun and told him to get away from me. He had a few words to say before he left and I tried to convince myself I wasn't afraid of him.

After making a stop at the bonds office so I could copy the check, I made my way to Randy Briggs apartment. When I knocked he didn't answer the door so I called him on the phone. I tried to reason with him but he said he wasn't letting a loser like me take him in. I took my gun out and shot at the door. All that did was put a slug in the wall by the door handle so I ran down and got the tire iron out of my car. One of the neighbors told me to get the tire iron between the door and the jamb and wedge it in. I followed his advice and had some success so I gouged some more chunks from down by the lock. Briggs opened the door a crack and told me I couldn't destroy peoples doors. I told him watch me and shoved the tire iron at Briggs. The security chain popped off and the door opened. I heard sirens and figured the police were just who I needed. Randy tore my jeans with the meat fork in his hand and when he came at me again with it I smacked it out of his hand and he bumped into the coffee table smashing a lamp. He lowered his head and came at me bull-style. I stepped sideways and he crashed into the bookcase. He lunged forward catching me at knee level and we both went down hard. In the ensuing tussle we ended up going head over heels down the flight of stairs and coming to a stop on the landing. After some more tussling we went down the next flight of stairs as well. I looked up and Carl Costanza was standing over me smiling.

Carl asked if I had papers and I told him they were in my bag upstairs. He went upstairs with me and when he got a look at the apartment he told Big Dog to lock the little guy in the car and come take a look. Lucky for me the man who'd given the advice on how to use the tire iron backed up my story about not beating Briggs up. When I walked back to the Buick, Bunchy was waiting for me. He followed me to the police station where I had to endure more teasing about the condition of Briggs. Next I headed for RGC. As I neared I noticed there were a lot of police cars and the medical examiners truck parked in the lot. I parked as close as I could and then made my way over. I asked what was going on and was told someone got shot. I asked who and was told Lipinski. I asked how it happened and another man said suicide. There was a note and apparently Lipinski took credit for killing Deeter and then couldn't live with himself so he was checking out. _"That's horseshit," Bunchy said. "That smells like a load of horseshit." (pg. 120 HF)_

I went to my parents for dinner and then I was taking grandma Mazur to the funeral home for the Martha Deeter viewing. I fixed a plate and took it to Bunchy before we headed out. Once we got to the funeral home, I scanned the crowd and recognized Terry Gilman. We talked for a few minutes and I asked it Martha and Larry were her jobs and she said no, she hadn't whacked them. She asked if there was anything else and I told her about my uncle disappearing and she said she hadn't whacked him either.

As we were talking, I noticed her focus had shifted to something beyond my shoulder. I turned to see Morelli. Morelli came up and put an arm around my shoulders and he and Terry had an exchange of words. When I tried to leave saying I was going to look for grandma, Morelli's hold tightened and he said he needed to talk to me. Morelli and I exchanged words and he said I was cute when I was jealous. I said I wasn't jealous and he called me a liar. Morelli wanted to know if I really beat the shit out of Briggs and I told him he fell down the stairs. We exchanged a few more words and Morelli asked if it was that time of the month. When I didn't reply he said he'd find out tomorrow and then had the nerve to say women were always easy marks at weddings. I asked Morelli if that was why he invited me and he smiled.

When I got home I called Ranger to see if he'd go running with me in the morning. I told him I needed a partner for running and he told me I wanted an enforcer. What could I say? He was right. I set the alarm but was awake and dressed before the alarm sounded. I hated running but was afraid when Ranger came to drag me out of bed for our run, that I'd drag him into bed with me. I made the mistake of eating before our run and after I threw up I had no more desire to run. I made my way back towards my apartment and three blocks from there Ramirez came running up behind me. When Ranger caught up with me I was in my lot. Ranger asked if I was okay because my face was white. I told him he might be right about the ham. He asked if I was still looking for work. He had a high bond FTA and he needed an informant in the Burg. I told him I'd see what I could do.

Lula and I put up posters around Grand Union about uncle Fred and then we went door to door to see what we could find. I ran across a woman who recalled seeing Fred get into a car. After I left her I ran into Lula and we made our way back to her car. As we neared we noticed there were no tires on her car. Two were in the back seat and when she popped the trunk the other two were in there. Bunchy drove by but burned rubber when Lula pulled her gun out.

I had just finished dressing for the second time for the wedding Morelli was taking me to. I chickened out and decided not to wear the dress I'd bought. There was a knock on my door and I opened it to find none other than Randy Briggs standing there. Seems Vinnie had given him permission to move in with me so he'd have an address so he could be re-bonded. I had words with Briggs and when that didn't work I called Vinnie and had some words with him. Unfortunately that did no good either. Morelli arrived and we headed out. When we arrived for the wedding, I caught sight of Terry Gilman. She blew Joe a kiss and he gave her a noncommittal smile. A little later Terry came to get Joe because Frankie Russo was taking the men's room apart. Five minutes later Morelli still hadn't returned and I was getting a little upset. I heard ringing and answered my phone. Sandy called to tell me Alphonse was at his mother's house. I called Ranger's numbers and waited another five minutes getting angrier by the minute. I went to find Joe only he wasn't where he was supposed to be. I asked if anyone knew where Joe was and was told no. I checked all around, even going outside to check but no luck. Finally I went back inside and left a note on a napkin that I'd be right back, I have to check on a FTA for Ranger.

When Alphonse came out of his mother's house I thought he was leaving so I went after him. I told him to freeze, I was bail enforcement and he took off. I chased him for awhile and we got into a scuffle. Suddenly I was hit with a splash of ice cold water. I blinked and saw Morelli, Ranger, a couple uniformed cops and people from the neighborhood around us Mrs. Ruzick was standing over us with an empty pot. Morelli and Ranger were smiling and I noticed their gazes were focused on my breasts. I told them to get over it I had nipples, and then told them if they valued their lives they'd stop smiling. Ranger took Alphonse to the police station and Morelli gave me a ride home. I asked him where he disappeared to and he said Frankie needed some air. I frowned but didn't say anything about looking for him outside. He asked if I was going to invite him in and I declined.

Next morning Briggs was complaining because I had no coffee and I had nothing to eat so I ran out and got us some coffee and doughnuts. I spent most of the day in my room working of my laptop. I headed out on my way to my parents for dinner and Briggs asked me where I was going. I told him my parents and he said that sucked. I was leaving him there with nothing to eat and I was going to my parents to eat. I told him he could have the leftover lamb and he said he had that for lunch. Then he told me he'd go with me. I reluctantly took him with me. Mabel was also invited because grandma wanted to grill her for information. Towards the end of the meal Briggs said I turned out pretty good considering my gene pool. After supper Briggs, grandma and I made our way to Stiva's funeral home. I lost sight of grandma and Briggs, and when I heard sirens I had a bad feeling. The door to where the casket holding Lipinski was wouldn't open yet the door was unlocked. I finally got it opened and Briggs went sprawling. Grandma was up on a chair taking pictures of Lipinski. When we reached my parents my mom was at the door waiting for us. She heard sirens and was worried about us.

Next morning grandma called and said she had a beauty appointment and thought we could drop off the film too. Grandma had a coupon for the one hour photos so we did that and then I took her to the beauty parlor. Next stop was the bonds office. I talked to Connie and Lula a few minutes before heading back out to my car. I was using Big Blue again and I just stood staring at the car and said 'I hate you'. I heard laughter and turned to see Ranger. He gave me an assessing look and asked what I'd be willing to do for a new car. I asked what he had in mind and he asked if it would still have to be morally correct. I asked what kind of car and he told me powerful and sexy. Then he told me to let him know when I decided.

I went back to pick up grandma and she mentioned it had been some viewing the night before and Margaret Burger was there and pitched a fit because the guy in room three. John Curly was in slumber room three and Margaret had come into spit on him because she blamed him for her husband Sol's death. Sol was having the same problems with the cable company that uncle Fred was having with RGC and Sol developed high blood pressure and had a heart attack. Seems Curly had been hit by a truck. We headed back to the photo store and picked up the prints and then we went to see Irene Tully to ask her if Lipinski had been the man Fred got in the car with. I took grandma back home and Bunchy picked me up on Hamilton so I stopped and asked where he'd been. He asked if I'd had any luck and I told him about the woman seeing Fred get in a car with another man. Then I told him about going to the funeral home and about what I'd learned about Curly and that I thought it might tie in but I had no logical reason why. He thought we should talk to the woman. I went back to my parents and grandma insisted on coming along because she didn't want to miss any of the action. I dropped grandma back off at my parents and Bunchy followed me to my lot. We were talking and _a warm hand protectively settled at the base of my neck. Without turning I knew it was Ranger. (pg. 191 HF)_ I introduced him to Bunchy and a couple minutes later Bunchy was heading out of the lot. I asked Ranger why he was trying to intimidate Bunchy and when he asked if I thought he did I said no. He agreed and told me Bunchy wasn't a bookie and was lying. He also said he was a cop. I told him I knew that but figured he had more information than I did and he'd been following me around for a few days now. Ranger asked if Bunchy knew I made him and I said yes but he didn't want to talk about it. Then Ranger told me he could help me with the tracking problem and handed me a set of keys. I asked him 'what's this' and he said 'temptation'. He was leaning against a new midnight-black Porsche Boxster. I asked him what kind of temptation and he said temptation to broaden my horizons. I asked where he got the car and he said he had a source. I asked if it was stolen and he asked if I cared. I said yes and he said then it wasn't stolen. I told him thanks for the offer but I couldn't afford the car and he told me I didn't even know the price yet. I told him if it was more than five dollars I couldn't afford it. He told me the car wasn't for sale and that if I continued to work for him I got to drive the car because Big Blue was ruining his image. Everyone who worked for him drove a black car. I asked if he was doing this to amuse himself, seeing what I'd be willing to do for a car like this and he said that was in the middle of the list.

I called Morelli and asked if he was busy later and he thought I wanted him bad. He said he had to work but he was free the next night. After I hung up from him I got a call from Ranger. He had a job for me the next day doing a distraction job. I went to bed at eleven and tried to sleep but after awhile gave up and decided I needed a snickers bar. I headed out and Briggs told me whatever I was going for to bring him back one too. I had grabbed the Porsche keys so just went with it and I cruised by Morelli's. The house was dark but his truck was parked there. I'd decided to head home and had put the car in gear and had reached the corner when I saw lights behind me. I turned the corner and parked and a few minutes later Morelli got out of the car. I was ready to put the car in reverse when I got a look at the driver of the car. It was Terry Gilman. She looked a little mussed from my point of view.

The next morning I did some grocery shopping and stopped into the bank. My friend Leona wasn't there but Shempsky was and I talked to him. I showed him the check and he said if I wanted him to he'd ask around about it. I dropped it into my bag and told him I'd hang onto it. I told him I thought people had died because of it and he said that was serious. I walked back to my car _feeling spooky and not knowing why. (pg. 205 HF) _I turned back and saw Shempsky having a smoke outside the bank and thought I was being silly because I was getting the creeps from Shempsky. I headed back to my lot and Bunchy was there waiting for me. He was looking a little grumpy and asked what was with the Porsche. I told him the car was on loan from Ranger and if he put a tracker on it Ranger wouldn't be happy. He followed me up to my apartment and while we were eating lunch I remembered Morelli saying he was working with a couple of treasury guys and everything connected. _"holy cow," I said. "You're working with Morelli."_

_"I don't work with anyone," Bunchy said. "I work alone."_

_This wasn't the first time Morelli had been involved in one of my cases and he kept it from me, but it was the first time he sent someone to spy on me. This was a new all-time low for Morelli. (pg. 207 HF)_

Morelli called a few minutes later and asked what I wanted on my pizza. I told him there wasn't going to be any pizza and not to ever call me again. I added a few names and when I hung up Bunchy laughed and guessed it was Morelli.

I was all ready for Ranger when he pulled up. He smiled and told me he wanted me to get attention not start a riot. I batted my eyes and said what you don't like it? Ranger reached over and undid two more buttons so I was exposed to mid belly and said that's how he liked it. Oops! I quickly did up the buttons and we headed for Mike's Place. I managed to get the marks attention and when his alarm went off got him distracted so he wouldn't check on his car. Perin asked if I wanted another drink and was lifted off his chair and thrown through the air. Next thing I know I'm toe to toe with Benito Ramirez. After a shot being fired and words being exchanged Ramirez went out the back. I headed out and Ranger told me I never disappoint. On his way taking me home Ranger asked about the shot and I gave him a condensed version leaving out any mention of Ramirez. We reached my apartment and Ranger said I had company. Morelli's bike was in my lot. I fished around in my purse and Ranger asked what I was looking for. I told him my gun and he told me cops frowned on people shooting them.

The next day I stopped by and got a canceled check from Margaret Burger. She'd called and told me she found one. Then I stopped by the bonds office and Lula and Connie commented on what I would have to do for the Porsche. Lula rode with me to the bank so I could talk to my cousin Leona. While we waited in line I noticed Shempsky's door was open and he was on the phone. When we finally reached Leona she asked what was up. I told her I found a curious thing about the checks was that they were canceled at this bank. She thought that was odd because the checks she writes to those companies are canceled somewhere else. Shempsky told me I was really tenacious and asked where I was going from there. I told him RGC. I went in and talked to a man named Stemper. He looked at the checks and he said they didn't use that bank. After talking with him for awhile I had a sudden thought and Lula asked me to share with her. I said suppose all the accounts weren't entered. Suppose Lapinski kept out some for himself and entered them somewhere else. We were heading for the car when Stemper called us back and asked to make copies of the checks. It took him about half an hour because he said the machine wasn't working right.

We got in the Porsche and were headed for the exit when a garbage truck came lumbering up and took the corner wide sideswiping the Porsche. The driver said he hadn't seen us until I started honking. We were headed into the office and had just gotten through the door when there was an explosion. We went back out to see what was going on and a second explosion occurred and flames shot from the Porsche to the undercarriage of the garbage truck. The driver said take cover because he had a full tank of gas. _And then it blew. Barrroooom! Liftoff. The garbage truck jumped off the pavement. Tires and doors flew off like Frisbees, the truck bounced down with a jolt, listed to one side, and rolled over onto the furiously burning Porsche, turning it into a Porsche pancake. (pg. 235 HF)_

When Joe showed up he wasn't thrilled Ranger had given me a car. I learned there was a bomb attached to my car and that's why it exploded. I told Morelli what I suspected and he wasn't happy I hadn't filled him in before. I told him I just figured it out and he made a comment about my being two steps ahead of him. He told me I needed to back off and when I asked why he said because I was the one being bombed. I asked if he could share his information with me but he said he couldn't. He asked if I needed a ride and I said I needed to wait for Ranger. Then Morelli said we'd have a conversation soon about Ranger. Oh boy! That's one conversation I would be looking forward to.

Ranger came and we talked a little. He said cars were easy to replace, he was just glad I was okay. Then he asked if I'd be willing to take a vacation and when I said I couldn't afford it he told me he'd advance me. I declined. We went and I waited while he met with his lawyer and then we ate. He mentioned I didn't say much about my marriage and I asked if he'd ever been married. He said once and I asked if he had any children. He told me a 9 year old daughter. Ranger drove me home and asked if I'd be careful and I agreed. He asked if I'd carry my gun and I agreed. Then he asked 'loaded?' and I agreed again.

I called Mary Lou and asked her if she'd spy on Morelli with me. We headed out and it wasn't long before we were busted. Morelli sent Mary Lou on her way and then we had a talk. I learned Morelli was working on a case that involved Vito Grizolli. Vito was part owner in RGC and it seemed someone was skimming from him. When he told me who he was watching I told him he might want to watch him pretty good because his life expectancy might not be too good.

The next morning Ranger called and told me he had wheels for me. It was a BMW with sensors on the undercarriage. When I went down to meet him in the parking lot I got a _"Looking a little scary, Babe," Ranger said when he saw me. _

_"A friend of mine suggested this look could be a new concept in birth control."_

_"It's not 'that ' scary."_

_I smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from my sweatshirt and closely examined a speck of lint on my sleeve. I looked up and found Ranger smiling._

_"The balls in your court," Ranger said. "Let me know when you're ready."_

_"For the car?"_

_He smiled. (pg. 261 HF)_

I stopped at my parents and my grandma told me I'd made the papers. They were calling me the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. Next I stopped at Mabel's to see how she was doing and then I was off to the bonds office. Connie had a FTA for me and Lula and I headed out to pick him up. We had some other stops to make and on our way I called Morelli on the car phone. He wasn't pleased to hear Ranger had given me another car. I asked him if anything had shown up on the missing people and he said no. Lula and I stopped at the bank and talked to Leona. Shempsky wasn't in. After that we headed to pick up my skip. We finally got him and I gave Lula the keys to bring the car around. She came back and said the car was gone. I called Vinnie and he agreed to come pick us up. While we were waiting I got a call from Joe. They'd found Stemper and he was sot dead. Vinnie dropped Lula and I back at the bonds office and I decided to walk home. I had a thought once I got there and went out to the Buick. I headed for Shempsky's and I talked to his wife. While I was there I snuck a photo of Shempsky into my bag. Then I went to Irene Tully's and showed her the picture. She said it was possible he was the man who picked up Fred but she couldn't be sure. My next stop was my parents house. My mother was afraid I'd get their garage blown up when I told them I wanted to leave the Buick in there overnight.

When I got back to my apartment, Ranger was there waiting for me. He asked what happened to the car and I told him it was stolen. I gave him the plates and the pieces from the dash. When tears slipped down my cheeks he told me it was a car and not important. I told him it wasn't just a car it was everything and that I had all these problems. His eyes dilated black and he told me here was something else to worry about and he kissed me. Soft at first but then more demanding. He pulled me closer and kissed me again. He told me to think about it and I said I thought it was a bad idea. He said yeah, if it was a good idea I'd already be in his bed. Then he told me he had a job for me. It was the sheik again. When I said no way he said to look at it this way. The sheik deserved me. Then he told me Tank would bring the car for me. I went in and pushed the button for the elevator and Ramirez steps out. He grabbed me and I screamed. Doors opened and my neighbors were in the hallway. Shots were fired and Ramirez bolted. I went up to my apartment. I checked my messages and the dialed Morelli. I got to the bedroom and Shempsky was there telling me to hang up. Shempsky let it all come out. I listened and asked questions trying to stall. Suddenly there was a yell and Shempsky whirled emptying the gun clip into the body of Benito Ramirez. I ran for it and got one of my neighbors to open her door and call the police. I took her gun and went back upstairs. I let Briggs out of the closet and Shempsky was gone.

Morelli took me to his place and I fell asleep beside him. When I woke up he was no longer beside me and I knew nothing had happened. I returned to my apartment to dress for the day and there was a policeman waiting there. I dressed and went down to meet Tank. He asked me if I was okay after last night and I asked how he knew. He said it was in the paper. I headed for my parents and traded the Lincoln for Big Blue. I wasn't losing another of Ranger's cars. My mom told me to take grandma with me. My father hadn't fully recovered from when grandma found my stun gun the night before and used it on my father. I followed the directions and in no time was picking up Ahmed. He said he wasn't coming with me so I put my arm around him and tugged him close. I told him I'd been having a bad couple of days and was a little low on patience. I told him it would be best if he got in the car without fuss or I was going to shoot him. My cell phone chirped and when I answered it Briggs told me what he'd learned. I told him to call the police but to call Morelli first. We found Shempsky and I started following him. We chased him with the car once he spotted us and then we chased him on foot. I grabbed him and Ahmed grabbed him a couple seconds later and we tackled him. Grandma had my bag and we got the cuffs on him.

When I finally got back to my apartment I decided to invite someone over. I was undecided so thought I might leave it up to fate. The only problem was, I knew what I was getting into with Morelli. I had no clue how things would play out with Ranger. I put two names in a bowl and when I pulled one out I thought_ 'Oh shit!' _ How about best two out of three? I added a few pieces of paper and pulled out a strip. _Shit! _Okay, last time. Best three out of five. I took a piece of paper and tore it into several strips and added a name to each piece. What can I say? I think I'm a bit of a chicken and I wanted to stay with something safe. I pulled out a strip of paper and then looked at the bowl overflowing with one name on each of the pieces of paper there while I held the other name in my hand. Maybe I wasn't ready for company just yet.

My thoughts were once again interrupted. Tank squatted down in front of my and asked, "How you doing Steph?"

I looked at him and tears swam in my eyes. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered something in my ear. I nodded. For endless moments I sat there clinging to him as the tears poured down my cheeks. As I sat with him I thought back over the time when Ranger was FTA. Vinnie had been willing to give me Ranger and when I turned him down he said he'd give it to Joyce. Fine by me. Ranger was the Wizard and I was not going after him for Vinnie. Funny, I hadn't felt the same way when Joe was FTA. I thought for a moment and asked myself if Vinnie had just told me Morelli was FTA again, would I go after him or would I pass like I had just passed for Ranger. The answer was obvious to me, and that told me a lot.

Ranger asked me to do some snooping around for him. I checked out Hannibal's house and got spotted. Once I even got shot at. Seems Homer Ramos had a girlfriend who just happened to work for my ex. I even got a layout of Alexander Ramos' house for him. I'd taken Bob and made it look like I was just out walking my dog. Bob wasn't really my dog. The cop who'd arrested Carol Zabo had gotten me to dog sit for him as payback for him lessening the charges against Carol. When Ranger stopped by for the diagram he asked if there was anything else I wanted to tell him. I asked him how he knew and he told me he'd been watching the house and saw me pick up Ramos. Ranger also asked me about my broken security chain and I told him about the skip breaking in.

Morelli and I had a conversation and he gave me some info on the case. I asked him what was up because he never shared information. He said it was just loose change. He needed to talk to Ranger and he needed me to pass on some information. I hadn't told Morelli about seeing Ranger leaving Hannibal's townhouse, and I wondered if there was information Morelli had kept from me. _Morelli had set the tone from the very beginning. There were cop things he just didn't share. The personal rules were still evolving. He had his. And I had mine. (pg. 215-216 HS)_

Lula went with me when I went through Hannibal's house. There was a room that looked like someone had been living there. Then Homer's ex showed up and we ended up in the garage. Her car was in the garage but there was a dead body inside. Somehow the body ended up in a lawn chair and the car disappeared with my Cynthia Lotte. I waited for a call from Ranger and when it came I told him about the body. He said to call the cops but I might want to be vague about the breaking and entering. When I mentioned I might want to be vague about a lot of things he said it was my call. I told him he had a rotten attitude. One minute he has his hands up my top and the next he's telling me nothing is my business. I don't even know where he lives. He says I can't give information I don't have. I told him Morelli wants to talk to him. Next time I saw Ranger he told me he no longer needed my help on the case. I said something about Morelli putting him up to it and he said Hannibal and Alexander had both seen me and half the police force knew I broke into Hannibal's house and found Junior Macaroni in the garage and it was too dangerous for me to stay on the case.

Sometime later Lula called and told me about Cynthia Lotte. She was Homer Ramos' ex-girlfriend. Seems she was found dead in the Porsche we'd helped her liberate. She also told me she had a skip for me and he was at Mooner's. There was a Star Trek marathon there. Our guy was in costume and when we tried to leave with him a food fight ensued. When I finally got out of the police station I headed for my apartment. Ranger was there waiting for me and he asked me what I found out. I told him and asked if he knew what any of it meant. He said yes and when I asked if he wanted to tell me he said no. He asked where Bob was and when I told him with Morelli he said he just had to worry about me then. I told him I was going inside and would be sure to lock up. He told me wrong, I was going with him and he was going to _lock _me _up. _He got a bracelet on me and I danced away. I put the car between us and grabbed the pepper spray. I told him to come get me.

_He put his hands on the car. "This isn't going well, is it."_

_"How did you expect it to go?"_

_"You're right. I should have known. Nothing is ever simple with you. Men blow themselves up. Cars get flattened by garbage trucks. I've been in full-scale invasions that have been less harrowing than meeting you for coffee." He held the key up for me to see. "Would you like me to take the cuff off?"_

_"Throw the key over here."_

_"Uh-unh. You have to come to me."_

_"No way."_

_"That pepper spray only works if you get it in my face. Do you think you're good enough to get it in my face?"_

_"Absolutely." (pg. 274 HS)_

Dougie and Mooner showed up and I told Ranger I needed to talk with them. They needed a place to stay the night so I let them bunk in my apartment.

Next morning I learned Carol was back on the bridge and went to talk with her. Next I made my way to the bonds office. While I was there Joyce came in and threatened to press charges against Carol unless I delivered Ranger. I went home and cleaned up and on my way out Habib and Mitchell, two guys who'd been following me around to get to Ranger kidnapped me. They told me what they had planned and I asked them questions trying to stall. I got them to go to a store for supplies so I wouldn't bleed to death while they were waiting for Ranger and while they were gone managed to get out of the building. I called Lula and had her pick me up. I called Joe and asked him to pick up Rex because I thought someone might try to break into my apartment. He asked how urgent it was and I said urgent. I told him about the two guys thinking they could get to Ranger by taking me hostage.

I called Ranger and told him I wanted to get the bracelet off and to meet me behind the bonds office. I was watching for him to arrive when he startled me by knocking on my window. He made me take off my jacket and hand it to him then made me get out of the car. We went inside the bonds office and Ranger asked me how I was going to do it. He figured my reason for having him come was that I planned to try and take him in. I had my hands on his abdomen and couldn't decide if I should go up or down. I was a little distracted and it finally registered that Ranger was calling my name. My little finger moved on him and he captured my hand and said not to encourage him because this wasn't a good time. He captured my hands and asked what happened. I told him about Habib and Mitchell. He told me he had to get back and then asked if I had any last ditch efforts. He kissed me lightly and I asked why he agreed to meet me? He cuffed both my hands behind my back. I told him about Carol and that I hadn't planned to let Joyce keep him. He let me go and told me he'd give me till 9 a.m. to work things out and then he was coming for me.

I met Lula and told her my plan to get Ranger backfired. She asked how well Joyce knew Ranger and I said she'd seen him a couple times. Lula said she had a friend who could pass for Ranger and we formulated a plan. We passed him off to Joyce after she agreed to sign a statement that Carol and the other women only did what she'd asked them to do. Then we followed her. While I'd been talking to Joyce and getting her to sign the paper, Lula spiked her tire. Joyce started slowing down and she finally pulled over. A van pulled over and Habib and Mitchell with their guns drawn pulled look-a-like Ranger out of the back and took off with him.

The next day I was at Pino's having pizza with Morelli and I told Morelli about Cynthia walking in on Lula and I and everything. The conversation didn't go so good from there with Morelli saying he probably didn't need to tell me I'd destroyed a crime scene and withheld information. Morelli's voice got louder and soon people were turning to look at us. Then he told me he used to not want to get married because he didn't want me sitting home worrying about him but now he didn't want to get married because he couldn't handle the stress of being married to me. He made me promise to go home and stay there.

I headed to my apartment and when I went into the bathroom, Homer Ramos stepped out of my bedroom and pointed a gun at me. I threw my gun at him and he fired grazing my arm. Ramos wanted his money. I told him I gave it to Ranger. He said I was lying and he was going to ask again and if I lied he'd shoot me in the knee. I could see Ranger behind Homer so I started a spiel to stall and Ranger yanked Homer off his feet and pressed a stun gun to his neck. I later learned that my pals Mooner and Dougie had found a duffel bag full of money. I decided they deserved it just as much as anyone else and kept quiet.

Lula's voice brought me back to the present. She laid a hand on my shoulder and spoke softly, "Hey white girl, you want something to eat or maybe something to drink?"

"No. I couldn't. Not till I know."

"Okay honey. I'm right here if you need anything."

I nodded. I vaguely heard Bella Morelli muttering about this all being my fault and she knew I'd be the death of Joe someday. I was numb. Her words didn't touch me, but they touched my friends. Lester was there getting in her face and telling her, "Get the fuck away from Stephanie and stay away or I'll come down on you hard old lady. I don't care if your grandson_ is _in there fighting for his life. No one treats Stephanie this way."

I couldn't even smile. All I could think of was the man I loved was in one of those operating rooms fighting for his life. Please God let him be okay. I closed my eyes and again let my thoughts drift. I was remembering the DeCooch case. I'd gone to pick him up and he got away from Lula and me. I checked out his house and surrounding buildings and found the dead body of Loretta Ricci. While trying to find Eddie DeCooch I learned Mooner's friend Dougie was missing and then someone was trying to grab Mooner. I called Ranger and told him I was handing off the case to him. I was afraid Dougie might get hurt if I couldn't find the answers in time. Ranger said he didn't want the case and I said fine and hung up on him. When I got back to my apartment I saw Ranger sitting in a chair waiting for me. He told me I hung up on him and to never hang up on him. I asked what he was doing there and he told me he thought we might deal. Then he asked how bad I wanted DeCooch. I asked him what he had in mind and he said that I find DeCooch, if I needed help bringing him in I call him. If Ranger succeeded in capturing DeCooch then I spend the night with him.

Eventually I found out that DeCooch went on a cigarette run and during the transaction Louie D had a heart attack and died. When DeCooch called and told the family, he thought the guy told him to bring the old guys heart to him so he cut it out and had it in a cooler that accidentally got left at Dougie's. Now Louie D's wife was demanding the heart back so she could bury it with Louie D. DeCooch had Dougie take the cooler to her but when he got there the cooler was empty. I made it known that I had the heart and was willing to trade it for Mooner. DeCooch didn't have Mooner so he kidnapped my grandma and used her to get the heart. We set up a meeting but mall security went nuts and demanded to look in the cooler. The second time I had both Ranger and Morelli helping and got grandma back. Ranger and I followed Ronald to where he was to drop the heart. We managed to get Mooner and Dougie but Ranger got shot. I called Morelli when I had some information on where DeCooch had held grandma. I told him about it and he told me to stay out of it and let the police handle it. I asked if he was going to tell Tom Bell and he said yes. I told him this was war. I called Vinnie and he went with me. DeCooch was there and the two of them got in a shoot out. We heard sirens and got out before anyone found us. After all, it was Sosa's house they'd just shot up.

Then when I found DeCooch again we were talking and I told him it wasn't really Louie D's heart. It was a pig heart. He smiled and started chucking, then asked what happened to the heart and I told him a dog ate it and he started laughing. I told him he should let me take him in and he said he wouldn't go in unless it was Ranger. Sophia came in behind him and before we could do anything she shot Eddie's ear. She wanted me to cut Eddie's heart out and I stalled telling her I needed tools to be able to do the job. Eventually I got away and went to a neighbors house and had them call the police.

It was almost midnight when I got back to my apartment and there was Eddie DeCooch. I asked if he wanted me to take him in and he said no, he wanted Ranger he just didn't know how to get in touch with him. I sighed and called Ranger. He came over and he and Tank took DeCooch to the lock up at the hospital.

I looked around the emergency room waiting room and noticed most of the guys from Rangeman were there. It looked like they'd left a skeleton crew and the rest of the guys were camped out here. Then there were the police officers. My cousin Eddie was there as well as Carl and Big Dog. I knew several of the guys but there were a few I didn't. Morelli's family was here and I noticed my parents were sitting with them. My hand clenched into a fist but otherwise no emotion showed. I thought about everything that had happened since that fateful day when I walked into that diner and met Ricardo Carlos Manoso and gone after FTA Joe Morelli. A lifetime had happened since that day. Then I remembered the case that started all this.

Mabel Markowitz lived next door to my parents. She came over one evening and asked if she could talk to me. When I made my way over she told me her granddaughter and great granddaughter were missing. While investigating, I learned that Annie Soder had gone to a birthday party at Eddie Abruzzi's house and picked up a metal she saw on his desk. Abruzzi was looking for them to get it back. He put a bag of snakes on my doorstep. I'll never forget the look on Carl and Big Dog's faces when they came out of my bedroom and Big Dog kept watch to make sure they didn't come out while Carl took a belt from a bottle of liqueur I had on hand and called animal control. Then there was the time spiders had been put in my jeep.

As if that wasn't enough, there were men in bear costumes and bunny costumes as well as masked men looking like ex presidents coming after me. They'd left a dead guy in the bear costume on my couch. I called the police and they took care of the body. I went to the track and talked to Abruzzi. When I headed home, I just couldn't get over there'd been a dead body on my couch. I moved it out into the hallway. Ranger showed up and asked about the couch in the hall. I told him it had death cooties and he said he knew there had to be a good explanation. Then he asked how it went at the track. I told him I thought Evelyn had something Abruzzi wanted and he told me he knew what it was. I asked him what and he asked how bad I wanted to know. I told him to tell me and he said it would get added to the debt. I asked if he was going to tell me or what. That's when he told me about the medal.

_He moved against me and desire skittered through my stomach and burned low in my belly. He was hard everywhere. His thigh, his gun...everything was hard. _

_He lowered his head and kissed my neck. He touched his tongue to the place he just kissed. And then he kissed it again. His hand slid under my T-shirt, his palm heating my skin, his fingers at the base of my breast._

_"Pay-up time," he said. "I'm collecting on the debt."_

_I almost collapsed onto the floor._

_He took my hand and tugged me toward the bedroom. "The movie," I said. "The best part of the movie is coming up." In all honesty, I couldn't remember a single thing about the movie. Not the name or anyone in it._

_He was standing close, his face inches from mine, his hand at the back of my neck. "We're going to do this, babe," he said. "It's going to be good." And then he kissed me. The kiss deepened, became more demanding, more intimate._

_I had my hands splayed over his chest, and I felt the toned muscle under my hands, felt his heart beating. So he has a heart, I thought. That's a good sign. He must be at least part human._

_He broke from the kiss and pushed me into the bedroom. He kicked his boots off, dropped his gun belt, and he stripped. The light was low, but it was enough to see that what Ranger promised in SWAT clothes was kept when the clothes were shed. He was all firm muscle and smooth dark skin. His body was in perfect proportion. His eyes were intense and focused._

_He peeled my clothes off and wrangled me onto the bed. And then suddenly he was inside me. He once told me that time spent with him would ruin me for all other men. When he said it, I thought it was an outrageous threat. I no longer thought it was outrageous._

_We lay for a while when we were done. Finally he ran his hand the length of my body. "It's time," he said._

_"Now what?"_

_"You didn't think the debt would be paid that easily, did you?"_

_"Uh-oh, is this the part with the handcuffs?"_

_"I don't need handcuffs to enslave a woman," Ranger said kissing my shoulder._

_He kissed me lightly on my lips and then dipped his head to kiss my chin, my neck, my collarbone. He moved lower, kissing the swell of my breast and my nipple. He kissed my navel and then my belly, and then he put his mouth to my...omigod!_

_He was still in my bed the next morning. He was pressed next to me, his arm holding me close. I woke to the sound of the alarm on his watch. He shut the alarm off and rolled away to check the pager that had been placed on the nightstand, next to his gun._

_"I have to go, babe," he said. And he was dressed. And he was gone. (pg. 267-269 HE)_

The next time I saw Ranger he had Hector with him and Hector installed a sensor and a floor bolt. When Hector finished, Ranger showed me how everything worked. I asked him if this went on the tab. Ranger said,_ "There's no tab. And there's no price for what we give each other. Not ever. Not financial. Not emotional. I have to get back to work."_

_He stepped away to leave, and I grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Not so fast. This isn't television. This is my life. I want to know more about this no-emotional-price thing?"_

_"It's the way it has to be."_

_"And what's this job you have to get back to?"_

_"I'm running a surveillance operation for a government agency. We're independent contractors. You aren't going to grill me on details, are you?"_

_I released his shirt and blew out a sigh. "I can't do this. This isn't going to work."_

_"I know," Ranger said. (pg. 278-279 HE)_

"You know? You know that I'm in love with you?" I turned away devastated. I didn't see the stunned look on his face. I suddenly had to get away. It was too much. I ran to my bedroom and without stopping I opened my window and crawled out onto the fire escape. My only thought was to get away. I couldn't deal with this. How could I? He knew I loved him and he couldn't, or wouldn't return those feelings. It took only seconds to get down the ladder and then I took off running. I know, me running? I guess I was motivated. I didn't even see the van. It pulled to a stop in front of me and before I could do anything about it they were on top of me. They threw me inside and took off.

When we came to a stop, they hauled me out of the van and forced me inside the house. I was tied to a chair and a short while later Abruzzi walked into the room. He had a smile on his face and I knew I wouldn't make it out of this house alive. I decided then and there that I would do what I could to fight them. I wouldn't give up until they killed me. I raised my head and looked Abruzzi in the eyes.

"I want you to tell me where Evelyn is."

I remained silent. He drew back his hand and slapped me hard across the face. I tasted the blood from the cut lip but still I refused to talk. Abruzzi laughed. It sent chills down my spine. It was the laugh of an insane person. The phone rang and Abruzzi answered it. Suddenly he looked at me with a gleam in his eyes. "I'm glad to hear from you Joe. I have someone here you know well." He held the phone up to my ear and said, "Say hello to officer Morelli."

"Hi Joe."

"Stephanie didn't I fucking warn you to stay out of this? I can't help you now Cupcake. You're on your own."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out."

Abruzzi put the phone back to his ear and said, "I'll enjoy explaining to Ms. Plum the error of her ways." With that he hung up.

_Note: As you can tell, a lot of what is in this chapter is from the books. There are points where my story deviates from the books. From here on out, there will be less from the books and my story will emerge. Hope you enjoy._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: I really want to keep it a secret for now who she ends up with. Although you may not be happy with what Morelli/Ranger has done, he is not a totally bad person. _

_(From the end of Chapter 2.)_

_**When we came to a stop, they hauled me out of the van and forced me inside the house. I was tied to a chair and a short while later Abruzzi walked into the room. He had a smile on his face and I knew I wouldn't make it out of this house alive. I decided then and there that I would do what I could to fight them. I wouldn't give up until they killed me. I raised my head and looked Abruzzi in the eyes. **_

"_**I want you to tell me where Evelyn is."**_

_**I remained silent. He drew back his hand and slapped me hard across the face. I tasted the blood from the cut lip but still I refused to talk. Abruzzi laughed. It sent chills down my spine. It was the laugh of an insane person. The phone rang and Abruzzi answered it. Suddenly he looked at me with a gleam in his eyes. "I'm glad to hear from you Joe. I have someone here you know well." He held the phone up to my ear and said, "Say hello to officer Morelli."**_

"_**Hi Joe."**_

"_**Stephanie didn't I fucking warn you to stay out of this? I can't help you now Cupcake. You're on your own."**_

"_**Yeah, I kind of figured that out."**_

_**Abruzzi put the phone back to his ear and said, "I'll enjoy explaining to Ms. Plum the error of her ways." With that he hung up.**_

Chapter 3: The Rescue

While Abruzzi had been talking to Joe I was taking stock of my position. Although I was tied to a chair my legs were relatively free. My hands were tied behind my back and the rope had been woven into the bars of the chair back. There was some give and while Abruzzi had been on the phone I was making the most of getting free of the rope. I knew my wrists would be scraped raw but better that than to be dead. The two goons who'd grabbed me from outside my apartment building went into another room and wheeled a big screen TV into the kitchen so it was set directly in front of me. They waited for Abruzzi to hang up the phone before one of them handed him the remote. Abruzzi put in a DVD and turned the machine on. He gave me that insane smile and giggled.

"I have a movie for you to watch while we're gone Ms. Plum. I want you to see what's in store for you when we come back." With that he started the DVD player and the picture that came on made me want to throw up then and there. Abruzzi was playing a video of Ramirez raping and beating Lula. I turned and looked him directly in the eyes, giving him my best Burg glare and he just laughed that creepy laugh he had.

Abruzzi went out the back door with the goons and I was left alone in the kitchen. After all, they figured I wouldn't be able to go anywhere. I listened for anything they might say that would give me a clue I might need. One of the goons asked, "You sure you don't want me to stay and keep an eye on her boss?"

"No need. She can't get free and no one knows where she is."

Goon two started laughing, "Plus if she does get outside there's always the snakes. She's already had a taste of them. They're harmless, but she's such a girl. She was scared shitless I heard."

I heard a vehicle start and leave and then a few minutes later another vehicle started and followed. I waited another 10 minutes and then quickly worked the ropes. It took me another 15 minutes to get out of the ropes. I was scared and trying to keep the panic at bay. I had to concentrate to get free. When I was finally free I stood and took a couple minutes to get my arms and legs working. All my instincts told me to run now, but I didn't want my haste to lead to a fall that might make the difference between life and death. When I felt sure my legs would hold me up I carefully opened the door and checked to make sure the coast was clear. I wouldn't put it past Abruzzi to have left one of the goons outside to stop me from leaving. It'd be just the sick kind of joke he'd get off on. Let the kidnapee escape the ropes and think she's getting away only to run into a goon.

The coast was clear and I headed for the trees. I wasn't taking a chance that they would be coming back just as I got free. I had no idea where I was or how to get back to Trenton. I knew I had to get as far away as I could though. I headed into the woods parallel to the main road. The last turn we took was a right hand turn, so I figured if I headed parallel to the road for awhile I could then cut across the wooded area and make my way closer to the main highway. When I got to that point I would run the risk of Abruzzi or his goons spotting me but if I didn't do that, the risk of getting lost out here and dying anyway was greater. Besides, once I got near the road I might find a route sign and be able to figure out where the hell I was.

I figured I'd been jogging nearly an hour when I figured I'd have to cut towards the main road. I headed in that direction and as I neared the highway the sounds of traffic grew louder. I needed to take a break, running wasn't my forte. I found a group of trees that would hide me from the road as well as from the direction I had come from. I spent several minutes letting my breathing get back to normal. When I worked up the courage to take a peek, I saw a road sign that had me smiling. I at least knew about where I was. Now I had to just find a way to making it back to Trenton. It would be a lot harder without a vehicle, and if I chanced hitchhiking I risked putting myself in even more danger. I checked the position of the sun and thought back to the turns we'd made on the way here before heading in the direction I thought we'd come from.

Staying in the treeline along the road I steadily made my way towards the destination I thought might lead me home, without making me too visible. I'd been walking about an hour when I saw a van that looked like the one Abruzzi's goons had used to grab me. I was between trees and more visible than I wanted to be. I carefully made my way to the next tree and stopped so the tree was between me and the highway. I prayed they hadn't seen me. I took a peek and the van was continuing on without stopping. I wanted to sigh with relief, but I wasn't safe at home yet. I decided to run for awhile so if they had seen me I could put a little more distance between where they'd seen me and where I would be by the time they got back. Even if they hadn't seen me, if the van was them, they'd know soon enough that I was gone from the house. Just then another thought came to mind. I had no idea what type of vehicle Abruzzi was driving. He might be out there anywhere and I'd never know it. Crap! Now I was creeping myself out. I started running faster.

By the time the light was starting to fade, I'd managed to make it to a small gas station. I took a good look around before heading towards it. I glanced inside and didn't recognize the man inside at the counter. I opened the door and asked the man if I could use his phone. He waved his hand at the phone on the counter and I smiled and thanked him. His cheeks got red and he mumbled about having to check something in the back room. I waited till he was out of the room and then followed in the direction he'd gone. I was taking no chances. I opened the back door a crack, but it was enough to see the man was doing exactly what he said he was doing. I hurried back to the phone, not knowing how much time I had. I paused only a moment before deciding which number to call. There really was no choice.

"Yo."

"Yo yourself."

"Babe. Where are you?"

I looked around and spotted a newspaper on the counter. "I'm in a gas station off highway I-76 East Pennsylvania Turnpike. There's a newspaper here that says Reading Gazette."

"How did you get there? Your car's still in your lot?"

"Two of Abruzzi's goons kidnapped me."

"You got away?"

"Yeah. I think I saw them headed back towards the house where they took me though, so I don't know how much time I have."

"Lock yourself in the bathroom Babe. I'm on my way."

"Alright. Hurry."

I replaced the receiver and checked around for the bathroom. The proprietor came back out front and asked if I had everything I needed. I nodded and thanked him for the use of the phone. I didn't see any restrooms inside so I was hoping they had one outside and that it wouldn't be locked. I made my way outside and after checking to make sure I wasn't being watched I started looking for the bathroom. I located a door marked women and felt a tiny bit relieved to see it was unlocked. I opened the door and went inside. It wasn't the nicest place I'd ever been but if it hid me from Abruzzi and his men it was a palace as far as I was concerned. I decided I might as well use the facilities since I was here and once that was taken care of I put the lid down and had a seat. It seemed like I was in there for hours but in actual fact it was probably closer to 30 minutes before I heard someone at the door. I tried to hold my breath but didn't think that would be a good idea in case I needed to defend myself. I heard the lock trip and the door opened a crack.

"Babe?"

I launched myself forward and threw the door open and was in Ranger's arms before he could say another word. I couldn't stop shaking as tears poured down my cheeks. "I was so scared. I thought I was going to die."

Ranger had his arms around me and lifted me off the ground as he made his way towards a black SUV. He opened the front passenger side door and got in with me still in his arms. I heard him say to someone, "Drive!"

The vehicle was in motion before he finished the word. I looked over at the driver's seat and saw Tank there. In the back seat was Bobby Brown, Lester Santos, and Hector. I looked up and met Ranger's gaze. I was still shaking but it wasn't as bad as it had been when he first found me. "Abruzzi wanted to know where Evelyn and Annie were."

Ranger's mouth tightened, "Evelyn flew out this afternoon with Annie, Dotty and Dotty's kids. They're headed to Florida. Annie picked up a medal from Abruzzi's desk when her dad took her to a birthday party. I've called Rangeman Miami to help her out when she lands there. She's safe, now we just need to make sure you're safe Babe."

He put a finger on my cheek where Abruzzi had struck me, and the finger caressed it's way down to my cut lip. His mouth was tight and his eyes darkened and turned cold. "What happened Babe?"

"He asked me where Evelyn was and I wouldn't say anything."

He gave a miniscule nod. "Did he hurt you in any other way?"

I knew what he was asking so I shook my head no. "When the goons took me in the house, they tied me to a chair and he showed up a few minutes later. After he hit me he got a call and he smiled before putting the phone to my ear and telling me to say hi to officer Morelli."

I heard a muffled oath from the back seat but didn't move my gaze from Ranger's face. Ranger's eyes took on a lethal hardness I'd never seen before. "Morelli knew you were at Abruzzi's? What did he say?"

"He said he told me to stay out of it and he couldn't help me now. I was on my own."

There was total silence for several seconds and then I could swear I heard someone growl. It wasn't Ranger. He remained silent but if anything his eyes grew colder if that was possible. "How did you get free?"

"The rope was loose enough to give me some room to work. I managed to get my hands free and then it was a piece of cake to get free from there. Once outside I headed for the trees instead of the road because I was afraid they'd come back and see me. I ran for awhile then walked some more. Once I saw the van I started running again."

Ranger picked up one of my hands and examined my raw wrist. He motioned to Tank to pull off the road and a few yards farther on Tank took an exit ramp and pulled into a motel parking lot. Bobby got out of the back seat and headed for the motel office. He came back a few seconds later with a couple keys. He got back in and directed Tank to a spot in the back of the motel. We all got out and Tank, Lester and Hector made their way into one of the rooms and Bobby followed Ranger as he carried me inside the other room.

Ranger sat me gently on the bed and moved away so Bobby could check out my wrists. He put some salve on each wrist and then wrapped each wrist with gauze. Once he was done he checked me over and when Ranger was assured there were no other injuries, Bobby packed his bag and left. "We'll stay here tonight Babe. That way anyone looking for you will be put off the trail when they can't find us in Trenton."

"What about my family?"

"I have them covered Babe."

I stood and went over to where Ranger stood and leaned my head against his chest. I spoke softly, barely above a whisper, but I knew he heard every word. "I thought he was going to kill me."

Ranger wrapped his arms around me and said, "He'll have to go through me first." He lifted me in his arms and lay me gently on the bed.

I gave Ranger a smile that was more grimace than smile and said, "Guess I'm messing up your no emotional price huh?"

I felt Ranger's silent laughter and looked up into his face. "I thought you might be feeling guilty because you'd let me love you. I knew you were in love with Morelli."

I thought about that for a moment. "I was 6 when he told me he wanted to show me a new game. He took me to his father's garage and put his head under my skirt and fingered me. He was 8. Then when I was 16 he came into the Tasty Pastry and locked the door. He nailed me on the floor behind the counter. He left for the military but before he left he wrote about it all over town. I thought I loved him all these years." I smiled, "You weren't lying when you told Joyce you were going to ruin me for all other men. I haven't been able to let Joe get close since I stayed with him when Sugar was stalking me."

Ranger's eyes dilated and he lowered his head till his mouth covered mine. When we came up for air he looked into my eyes and said, "Any second thoughts, you need to voice them now Babe. I make love to you and you're mine. No more Morelli."

I met his gaze and said, "Morelli was safe because he was a known. I loved him with a child's love. You've always been an unknown and I've been scared to step into uncharted territory. When I let you into my bed, there was already no Morelli. I could never make love with someone I didn't have feelings for."

"There is no price I won't pay for you Babe."

"There is no price I won't pay for you either Ranger. There's a lot about your life I don't know. The one thing I do know is that you have never outright lied to me or tried to hurt me."

'There's parts of my life you can't know about Babe. You have to know that and accept it or we can't go on from here. "

"Will you always be as safe as you can be when doing whatever it is you are doing?"

"Yes."

"Will you always try to come back to me?"

"Yes."

"Will you always love me?"

"Yes."

"Then that's all that matters. I won't like it when you have to be away, but I don't expect you to give up who you are to be with me. I just want you to share as much as you can with me."

"I can do that Babe. I still have reservations. There are some really bad guys in my past that would stop at nothing to get back at me. I want to keep you safe."

"Worse than Ramirez? Worse than Abruzzi? I have some pretty scary people in my life too. I'm not going to let them stop me from living my life and loving you."

"That mean your not giving up your job Babe?"

I laughed. "Joe's been trying to get me to quit for months. I was never willing to give it up for him. Do you want to know why?"

"Why Babe?"

"It was the only tie I had to you. I couldn't give it up. Although I plan to continue working, it no longer _has_ to be as a Bounty Hunter. But I have found I like the type of work I'm doing. I'm good at it even though I sometimes have a difficult time getting the skips to the police station."

"So if I offered you a job where you could continue doing the parts of your job you like, but maybe giving up the parts that aren't so good, you might take me up on it?"

I smiled and he laughed. His head descended and our lips met. Our tongues dueled and he rolled us so I was under him. He managed to remove our clothing and then he was inside me, loving me.

I woke the next morning to the realization my stomach was growling rather loudly. I heard the door open and my eyes opened wide. Ranger sat down on the bed and handed me a bag and a coffee. I opened the bag and there were 3 Boston Cream doughnuts inside. I didn't stop till they were all gone. As I put the last bite in my mouth I looked at Ranger and my eyes widened. "You didn't want one did you?"

He smiled, "Babe."

I wadded up the sack and tossed it at him. Suddenly there was a twinkle in his eyes and he moved towards me. I squealed and scrambled off the bed. Ranger got an arm around my waist and tossed me back on the bed and covered me. His mouth covered mine and things were just getting hot and heavy when there was a knock on the door. We groaned in unison and then laughed. Ranger got off the bed and headed for the door as I went into the bathroom. When I came back out I was fully covered and all five of the guys were at the table in our motel room talking quietly. Ranger looked up as I entered and moved so I could sit on his lap.

"Okay guys. What's the plan?"

Lester laughed, "Are you the same little white girl I met a few months ago that hated getting shot and hated getting arrested?"

I made a face at him and said, "Near death experiences play with a persons priorities."

One of Ranger's arms was wrapped around my waist and his other hand was playing with my hair. "Abruzzi's mine Babe."

"One of those morally right things?"

I twisted so our eyes met. When I turned back to the others I saw them watching me. I knew they were watching to see how I'd handle this. I took a deep breath and said, "I've been thinking..." I had all their attention now. "I had a long time to think about things while I was trying to get away from Abruzzi. Seems he was Ramirez's owner. He had a DVD of what Ramirez did to Lula."

Tank looked murderous. "How did you find that out?"

"Before they left they put a TV in front of me and Abruzzi put in a DVD. He said he wanted me to see what was in store for me. Seems he and Ramirez had something in common."

Tank growled and his hands clenched into fists.

"Go on Babe."

"What if Abruzzi and Joe were in it from the beginning? I always thought there was more to Joe being at Carmen's apartment than he let on. What if Joe was there to help Ramirez by getting rid of Carmen but Alpha didn't know it and had sent his own men. Then Joe got knocked out and ended up getting arrested? Then when I was after him he used me to draw out Alpha and dispose of him."

I could see I had their attention. I continued, "It seems more than a coincidence that _every_ case I've landed has somehow involved Morelli. What if he's been using me from the beginning? He's worked it so no matter which way it goes, he comes off smelling like a super-cop, but if you think about it he could also be considered a brilliant strategist in Abruzzi's army. I'd like to see what Joe's military files hold. I think there may be a deeper connection than anyone knows."

Ranger laughed. A deep, sexy, belly laugh. "My God. She'll brilliant! Can you fucking believe this?"

I looked at the guys and saw they were all starring at me with respect and a touch of awe. I frowned, "What?"

Ranger shook his head. "Remember my telling you I'm good at tracking people?"

I nodded. He smiled and said, "The man I've been tracking for the past few months is none other than..." And his smile widened.

My eyes grew round and my mouth dropped open. "Joe Morelli."

He nodded. I grimaced, "This isn't one of those times that if you tell me you have to kill me is it?"

All the guys broke out laughing at that. Ranger smiled his full 2000 watt smile. "No Babe. This is the one time that if you want to help me, I'll let you."

"What do you need me to do?"

I saw the guys exchange a look. Ranger was silent for several seconds before he replied, "Would you be willing to call Morelli and tell him you figured everything out?"

I thought about it for several seconds. I wanted to make sure before I gave Ranger an answer. I wanted to make sure I could live with what I was going to do. Finally, I nodded, "I can do that."

Ranger hesitated, "Are you sure?"

"Morelli knew what Abruzzi was going to do to me and he wasn't going to stop him."

"I don't want you to have problems with your conscious after it's over."

"Joe deserves to get caught. He deserves to pay for the things he's done. There won't be any regrets for Joe."

"Okay Babe. If you're sure."

We spent the next couple hours planning. Once we'd talked over everything, Ranger handed me his cell and gave me a nod. I punched in Morelli's number and listened as the phone rang. He picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Joe, this is Stephanie."

"Cupcake? Where are you? How did you get away?"

"We need to talk Joe.

"Tell me where you are Cupcake and I'll be right there."

I laughed, "Right. Along with Eddie Abruzzi and his goons."

"It's not what you think Cupcake. I'm undercover. That's why I had to say what I did. As soon as I hung up from talking to you I called Ranger and told him where you were."

Ranger was shaking his head in the negative. I'd already known that. "You're lying Morelli. I know everything. Right from the beginning. I finally put all the pieces together."

There was a silence on the other end. I thought maybe he disconnected but then he was talking again, "No one will believe you Cupcake. I'm a cop. You're nothing."

Ranger wrote something down on a piece of paper and I read it. "I saw the DVD of what Ramirez did to Lula. You were on it."

Silence. "You're lying!"

"I took the DVD from Abruzzi's house. I have it right here with me. Now I wonder what I should do with it?"

"What do you want Cupcake?"

"I want Abruzzi to leave me alone. Forever!"

"Not going to happen. I'm not crossing him. He'll kill me."

"Then you better start worrying about all those cons you put in prison that will be your new cell mates."

"You don't have it in you Cupcake."

"That was before you were willing to leave me in Abruzzi's hands. You give me what I want or I hand over one of the copies to the Chief Of Police."

"Alright. I'll see what I can do."

"I'll be in touch." I disconnected and turned to Ranger.

"Proud of you Babe. Now I'm going to have you go to a safe house with Tank..."

I shook my head no and interrupted. "No. You need Tank to help you. I'll be fine."

"I'm not leaving you unprotected."

I smiled, "You're not leaving me period."

"Babe."

"Ranger, think about it. Which of you has the greatest chance of keeping me safe?"

I knew the minute he accepted what I was saying. "You do everything I tell you."

"I'll try."

He was frustrated, but I knew I had him. We spent the rest of the day putting everything in motion. That night Ranger loved me with such soul lifting passion it felt like he touched my soul and we became one. I didn't think I could love him anymore than I did in that moment. I woke in the morning with a feeling of foreboding.

_Okay...I think you can guess by this chapter who the winner is. Yes! This is a BABE HEA! _


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8. I have to add a spoiler for 12 now as well. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe._

_**He was frustrated, but I knew I had him. We spent the rest of the day putting everything in motion. That night Ranger loved me with such soul lifting passion it felt like he touched my soul and we became one. I didn't think I could love him anymore than I did in that moment. I woke in the morning with a feeling of foreboding. **_

Chapter 4: The Plan

It was nearly 2 p.m. when we made our way into Trenton. We were headed for Abruzzi's house in Trenton. I'd called Joe and told him to meet me there. To say he was surprised was an understatement. He said he didn't think I'd want to get within 100 miles of Abruzzi. I told him it was the only way I'd know he was keeping to is part. This was the one part of the plan Ranger wasn't thrilled with. He didn't want me within 100 yards of Joe, let alone Abruzzi. He'd been gone awhile during the night. I'd drifted off to sleep around 2 a.m. and woke up around 3:30 a.m. to see I was alone in the room. Ranger slipped back into bed around 4 a.m. I looked him over carefully to make sure he was okay before snuggling into his embrace. I didn't ask questions then or later.

We pulled up in front of Abruzzi's Trenton house and I was a little surprised not to be met by Abruzzi's goons. I stepped out of the car and made my way to the front door. Ranger was beside me. It was the only way he would agree to my having anything to do with the plan. Ranger was dressed in SWAT black and looked even more lethal than usual. I was dressed in SWAT black and I wore my gun on my hip and it was fully loaded. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail and I was wearing Ranger's Navy Seal's hat. I rang the bell and Joe opened the door.

The look in Joe's eyes when he saw Ranger was cold and angry but he quickly masked it with a contrived look of concern. "Are you okay Cupcake? How _did _ you get away anyway?"

"Do you really care?"

"Cupcake, you know I love you."

I laughed. There was a flash of anger on Joe's face before he quickly masked it. I shook my head and told him, "The only person you love is yourself."

"I do love you Cupcake. We can still be happy together if you marry me."

I was stunned. I felt Ranger tense beside me and I reached out a hand and placed it on his arm. Joe's face grew harsh and he snarled, "You're nothing but a whore Stephanie."

My eyes widened and I said, "That's like the pot calling the kettle black. Don't tell me you haven't been doing Terry Gilman all this time."

He smiled, "Terry knows what a man needs to be happy."

Ranger smiled, only it wasn't a pleasant smile, "You're an ass Morelli. You wouldn't know what to do with a real woman like Stephanie. She's more than you can handle."

"How the hell would you know..."

Ranger's smile grew.

Morelli snarled and advanced on Ranger. Suddenly Ranger morphed into someone dark and dangerous. I had a sudden insight into the man Ranger became when he went on missions. Morelli threw a right and Ranger easily blocked it. Ranger laughed and rage filled Morelli's eyes and he followed the right with a left uppercut. Ranger blocked the left and threw Morelli to the ground.

Morelli got up pulled his gun. "I'm arresting you for assault."

I held up the DVD, "I don't think that would be a wise move."

"You're going in too Cupcake. I'm arresting you for attempted blackmail."

"Fine. Then the Chief will get to watch this video and see you for the crooked cop you are."

Morelli smiled, "Nice try. I called Abruzzi and asked him about the video. He said I'm not on it."

"You trust Abruzzi to tell you the truth?"

"We've been partners since he killed my father when I was 12 years old. I'd do _anything_ for the man who killed my old man."

"So why go in the Navy? Why not just stay here in Trenton and go to work for him?"

"Because Abruzzi needed someone in a position of power. He asked me to join the Navy and learn the skills I'd need to join the police force. Once I became a cop I could help him a hell of a lot more than if I just stayed here and worked for him."

"So who really killed Carmen?"

Joe smiled, "I had that honor. I had enough time to fuck her and break her neck before I heard those other two at the door. I figured it was my lucky day and I could pin her murder on them so I snuck out and came back up the hallway."

"Bet you didn't count on someone knocking you out with a six-pack and getting arrested."

"No. That wasn't part of the plan. Fortunately for me Vinnie sent a powder puff like you after me instead of someone like Ranger."

My eyes narrowed, "For being a powder puff as you say, I managed to take you in."

"Yeah, but you let me wire your apartment and Alpha took credit for everything." He smiled, "Abruzzi and I were in the clear then."

"What was your tie to the Kenny Mancuso case?"

His eyes narrowed and he looked at me for several seconds. "What makes you think I had anything to do with that?"

"It just seems to fit."

He shrugged. "Kenny was a pawn. He did all the leg work. Abruzzi set up a buyer and we made a killing. Kenny was never the wiser. He thought he got back all the goods, but in fact he only got back 10% of the goods. Enough that when your grandma's bullets started flying it started an intense fire. You're lucky. If all the merchandise had been there none of you would have made it out."

"What about Mickey Maglio? Did he work for Abruzzi too? Is that why you wanted me to keep quiet about recognizing his voice?"

"He about had a coronary when you recognized him on the phone. I convinced him I could throw you off the scent. I thought I'd managed that. What gave it away?"

I shrugged, "I knew it was his voice. Reverend Bill's brother didn't sound like the man who'd burned me."

Morelli shook his head. That's not good for you Cupcake. That means I'm going to have to kill you for resisting arrest." He moved the gun so it was pointing at my head.

"You have nothing to loose then. You might as well tell me the rest."

Joe shrugged, "Not much else to tell. Abruzzi was looking to expand into the drug trade and we needed the dealers out of the way to make the take over easier. When Mo gave reverend Bill the first name and the body floated in, I figured I could fan the fire and in no time we'd have no competition. I found out Maglio was part of reverend Bill's group and gave him the info I wanted them to have."

"How did the Glick's fit in?"

Joe chuckled, "Figured that one out too did you? The plates they were using were of the top quality. They only made a couple mistakes in the printing. I knew what those mistakes were and figured if we got the plates we could fix the mistakes and when we printed the money no one would be the wiser. Then Maxine stole the plates and it was a scramble to get them back. The silver lining was when Sugar started stalking you and you moved in with me. It allowed me to re-establish my hold on you in bed. The guys at the station were making noises about how close Terry and I seemed to be and some of them were wondering if I hadn't gone over to the other side so to speak. You were my red herring."

"And the fact Vito Grizzoli was part owner in RGC and was being skimmed explains your involvement in my uncle Fred's case."

"You were a big help on that one cupcake. Not only did you help me out by figuring everything out, but you also got Bunchy as you know him out of my hair. The only negative with that case was Ramirez's death."

"So what about Homer Ramos? Were you and Abruzzi going to be partners with them?"

"We were just after the money. If I could pin the murder on Ranger so much the better. After all, you seemed to be spending more and more time with Ranger and you weren't accepting my advances anymore. If he was out of the picture I knew I could talk you back into my bed. I was even willing to marry you so everyone would be put off the scent of Terry and I. Negotiations were getting thicker between Abruzzi and Vito. It was looking like we'd be one big happy family."

"What about DeCooch? That's the one that really made no sense."

"You didn't notice the family resemblance?"

My mind raced with thoughts and suddenly my eyes opened wide, "Abruzzi and Sophia? They're related?"

"Sophia is Abruzzi's half sister."

"I should have seen that one. They're both crazy."

Joe chuckled, "Better not let Abruzzi hear you say that. Talk like that really makes him nuts."

I handed Joe the DVD. "You can have this one. There's nothing on it. Not like the one Hector just recorded with you telling the world everything."

Rage filled his eyes and he snarled, "Then I guess a murder here or there won't make any difference will it Cupcake." He fired his gun.

In that second Ranger stepped in front of me as Morelli fired. _I didn't know how many rounds went into Ranger. It was a blur of sound and movement. He crumpled to the floor and Morelli moved over him. Morelli looked at him for a moment, gun poised. "Execution time," he said. _

_"No!" I shrieked and flew at Morelli clawing at him. We went to the carpet and I was scratching and kicking and screaming. (pg. 314 TS in part with change of characters)_

Morelli had rolled us over so he was sitting on top of me and he had his gun aimed at my head. I stared into his hate-filled eyes and knew I didn't have a chance. Suddenly there was the explosion of a gun firing and Morelli slumped on top of me. I felt hands pulling him off me and I stood on shaky legs and rushed to Ranger. I was on the ground beside him and Bobby was there working hard at trying to save Ranger. It seemed like an eternity before the EMT's got there but it was in fact only 5 minutes. Tank came over and pulled me away so they could work. His arms were gentle but firm as they held me.

I watched as they loaded Ranger onto a gurney and wheeled him towards the exit.

"_He might be okay," Tank said. "They'll know more when they get him into x-ray. He was wearing a vest. From what I could see he took four in the chest. One of them penetrated. Maybe not entirely. Even if it hadn't, at that close range they'd knock him out. He took two more. One to the shoulder and one sliced into his neck. It was the neck wound that produced all the blood. (pg. 315 TS with a change of character)_

Tank went with me outside and we watched silently as the EMT's worked.

_The two men I'd spent the past few years loving and yo-yoing back and forth between were both loaded on stretchers into ambulances with gunshot wounds. One of them got shot because he stepped in front of me to take the bullet meant for me. The other was shot by his own partner. I couldn't ride with both of them, but it was no contest. Before the EMT could close the doors I slipped inside and sat beside the one man I knew I could trust with my life. My whole world had been turned upside down in the past three days, but that was the one true fact I knew I could still count on. (from chapter 1 of The Face That Lies)_

I came back to the present. I stood looking out a window with my arms wrapped across the front on my waist. The man I'd come to know as Bunchy stood beside me. I met his gaze and he gave a slight nod. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm not physically hurt."

"I wasn't sure I was going to get him in time."

"What were you doing there?"

"Seems we had the same idea. When we closed out the RGC case, something still felt off to me. I decided to keep an eye on all the players and see what I could find. In the twenty years I've been on the force, this is the first time I've ever fired on my own partner."

"I owe you my life."

"I meant it when I said you deserve better. I've never met someone so full of life before. I hope your Ranger makes it."

"Thanks Bunchy."

"I've got to go fill out some papers. I'll see you around."

I nodded and watched as he walked away. My cousin Eddie made his way over. "You okay Steph?"

"As okay as I can be till I know if Ranger's going to make it."

Eddie looked shocked. "What about Joe?"

"I don't care. Ranger got shot because he stepped in front of me when Morelli fired his gun at me."

"_What?_ "

"Joe's a bad cop Eddie. We have it all on tape. Everything. By now I'm sure that Hector has made copies and given one to the Chief."

"Joe was aiming at you?"

I nodded. "I didn't know Steph. Damn! What a mess."

"Joe was working for Abruzzi. Has been ever since Abruzzi killed Joe's dad."

Eddie shook his head. "We found Abruzzi just before we came here. He was parked downtown in a lot. There was a suicide note that said he could no longer live with the things he's done. We found several DVD's in his vehicle."

"What's Abruzzi's time of death?"

"Why do you ask? You know something I don't?"

I shrugged, "Abruzzi had me kidnapped." I pointed to my still cut lip. "He hit me when I wouldn't talk to him. I was just wondering how soon after that he committed suicide?"

"The M.E. says he died about 3 a.m."

I nodded. Eddie gave me a look and asked, "Where were you at 3 a.m. Steph?"

I looked at him with wide eyes, "Do you really think I had something to do with Abruzzi's suicide?"

"Maybe not you. But what about Ranger?"

"Ranger picked me up from a gas station that I'd walked to from where Abruzzi had held me. We stopped at a motel and stayed there a couple nights planning what we were going to do when we got back to Trenton."

"Can you say for sure Ranger was there the whole time?"

"Yes."

Eddie's eyebrow raised in question. "And you'd know that because?"

I smiled, "You sure you want me to answer that?"

Eddie actually blushed. "Are you telling me you and Ranger...?"

My smile grew. "All night long."

Eddie nodded, "I had to ask."

I smiled even wider. My mom joined us at that point and she hissed, "How can you be smiling at a time like this? You don't want to give Angie and Bella Morelli the wrong impression."

I turned to my mom. "I don't care about them and I certainly don't care about Joe. If Ranger hadn't stepped in front of me, I'd be in the morgue. He was aiming at my head."

My mother looked totally confused, "Why would he try to shoot you?"

"Because he's a bad cop and I have the evidence."

My dad and grandma Mazur joined us. Grandma asked, "Did I hear you say Joe tried to shoot you?"

I nodded. "He's been working for Abruzzi all along."

My dad patted my shoulder. "You okay pumpkin?"

"Physically I'm fine. I just wish someone would come out and tell me Ranger's going to be okay."

Cousins Eddie's POV :

I couldn't believe it when I got the call that Joe Morelli had been shot and was in critical condition. Then when they said Ranger had also been shot I thought what the hell? I made my way to the hospital. I'd just sent Abruzzi's body to the morgue. The man was a mess. He'd blown his head off with a sawed off shotgun. If it hadn't been for the suicide note and all the evidence pointing to Abruzzi firing the gun... Carl, Big Dog and I arrived about the same time. We walked in together and I wanted to go over to Steph right away, but Ranger's men were protecting her from the masses. We went to a section of the waiting room and bided our time. When I saw Steph walk over to the window I made my way over to talk to her. When I asked her if she was okay and she told me as okay as she could be till she knew Ranger was okay, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I asked her what about Joe. When she told me Joe tried to kill her I was stunned. Then when she told me Joe worked for Abruzzi things started to make sense. When I told her about Abruzzi's suicide she just nodded. It was as if she already knew. I hated to do it but had to ask her where she'd been. When I learned about Abruzzi kidnapping her, I asked the questions but no longer cared what the answers were. As far as I was concerned he committed suicide. If he was helped along by Ranger, so much the better. Then when Steph told me she spent the night with Ranger...well, he could have no better alibi as far as I was concerned. Case closed.

Bobby's POV:

I was on the scene and as soon as I could get to Ranger my training took over. I did everything I could to keep him alive till we got him to the hospital and more experienced doctors could take over. I hated waiting. The bullet that penetrated the Kevlar vest was close to the heart and I knew it would be tricky to remove. The one he took in the neck is the one that caused the massive loss of blood. Man he had to pull through. Ranger was like my brother. He'd saved my ass countless times and there'd be a huge hole in my life if he was no longer in it. But I saw the look on Bombshell's face. That's why I wanted him to live. She had the look on her face that said if he died she'd crawl in the grave with him. She'd brought a light back into our world that had been sadly missing for more years than I could count. I wasn't ready to loose that light and I knew the rest of the guys felt the same way. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the doctor step out into the waiting room and I took the few steps that would put me next to Stephanie.

Lester's POV:

I took a trip down memory lane while we waited for Ranger to get out of surgery. My thoughts went back to the first time Bobby, Tank and I met Beautiful. At first I had no clue what Ranger saw in this little white girl from the Burg. I understood less why he insisted on bringing her along when we cleaned out the apartment building on Sloan. She had all these rules man. She hated getting shot, she hated getting arrested, wanted to make sure things were legal and all. Man, didn't she understand? We had our own moral code. The look of panic on her face when Tank threw that drug dealer out the window was priceless. I saw the look on Ranger's face when he put his Navy Seal hat on her head. It was then I got an insight into why Ranger was letting her tag along with us. She was like a ray of light in our dark world. The look in her eyes when she looked at Ranger left her soul open wide for anyone to see. She was in love with him, but I don't think she was aware of it. What's more, when Ranger looked at her it was plain to see he loved her too. The forever kind of love.

When Ranger called out the troops to find her I knew in my heart something was seriously wrong. We'd just found out about Abruzzi's house in Pennsylvania when he got the call from her. I was never so relieved as when he got into the SUV with her and she was relatively unhurt. When I saw Ranger slip from their room early this morning, I stepped out and walked beside him. He told me to stay and make sure she was safe. I shook my head. I pointed and he turned his head enough to see Tank take up guard outside her room.

"Tank's got that covered man. I'm going with to watch your back."

Ranger and I stared at each other for several seconds before he gave the smallest of nods and said, "Let's go then."

It was easy to get close to Abruzzi. His goons didn't even wake up. That was the last mistake they'd ever make. Ranger and I each had one of Abruzzi's swords and one swing of the blades was all it took. Abruzzi struggled. At least at first. Ranger gave one blow to the base of the neck that paralyzed him. From then on, all he could do is watch as we carried him out to his car and put him in the driver's seat. We towed the car to the location we wanted and set everything up. Ranger placed the note where it was sure to be found. Abruzzi was pleading and sobbing when the trigger was pulled and blew out his brains. Ranger and I made sure we left no evidence of our presence and headed back to the motel. It was nearly 4 a.m. when we slipped back into our rooms.

Tank's POV:

I've known Ranger most of my life. He's saved my ass more times than I'd like to admit to. When the call came in that Steph was missing, I was as anxious to find her as he was. I loved that little girl. She was a bright and shining star in an otherwise dark world. She touched everyone she met. Just look at her assortment of friends. A number of them started out as skips she was after. I know Lula credited her with saving her life. When she told us about the video Abruzzi was making her watch I wanted to wring his neck. I knew I wouldn't have that pleasure. The minute Abruzzi targeted Steph he put a target on his own head. My task would be safeguarding her till Ranger returned. I was glad to see Santos join Ranger. Wouldn't hurt to have someone watching his back.

The minute Morelli aimed at Steph I knew things weren't going to end as well as we'd planned. Had I been closer I would have gotten in front of her first, but as it was Ranger was there. Now my job was to watch over her till he was ready to take over again. I'd seen his injuries. My worry was the bullet that penetrated. I knew it was close to the heart. I just hoped and prayed this wouldn't end in tragedy for us. As far as Morelli was concerned, none of us cared if he never took another breath.

When Ranger went down, Steph launched herself at Morelli and there was quite the tussle before Morelli got on top of her. I had my gun out and sighted but before I could pull the trigger "Bunchy" as Steph calls him fired. He hit Morelli close to the heart. I don't know how bad it was and I didn't care. Our only concern was for Ranger. Those damn EMT's were going to see to Morelli first even though Ranger was in worse shape. With Morelli being a cop and all. One look at Steph's face had them changing there minds though.

Now all we could do was wait and pray. I couldn't believe Bella Morelli and her ranting. I know grief affects everyone differently, but we didn't need any of that eye bullshit she was spouting.

Helen Plum's POV:

I couldn't believe when we got the call that Joseph had been shot and he and Stephanie were at St. Francis hospital. We got here the same time as Angie Morelli and Bella. I tried to be a comfort to them but what I really wanted to do was go and be with my baby. She looked so sad sitting there starring into space. I couldn't imagine what was going through her mind. Then Bella started all that fuss about giving people the eye. My goodness, we were all worried. Threatening people wouldn't get us answers any sooner. All it did was take away attention from where it was needed. While Frank and I sat with her and Angie I told her so too.

When we finally got to go to Stephanie I hissed at her not to be smiling because I didn't want Bella and Angie to get the wrong idea. Then she told me Joseph would have killed her if Ranger hadn't stepped in front of her. I was outraged. That little slime ball! I forgave him taking her to his father's garage when she was 6 and he was 8, and I forgave him taking her virginity when she was 16. But no way in hell would I forgive him for trying to kill my baby. When he woke up, if he came near my little girl again I'd kill him myself. I could always plead temporary insanity due to the "change" I was going through. I smiled secretly as Frank and mother joined us.

Frank Plum's POV:

I couldn't wait any longer to see how my little girl was doing. When I heard what she'd told Helen it was all I could do not to go into that operating room and pull the plug on his rotten life. I never told anyone but I had plans for him when he came back from the service. My little pumpkin got to him first though and ran him down with the Buick. I couldn't help but feel proud of her. She was one in a million. I smiled to myself as I thought of all the cars she'd blown up, not to mention the funeral home. What a kid. And I was proud to say she was all mine. I knew Helen was as proud of her as I was. Although Helen thought she couldn't be truly happy till she was married, I knew she loved Stephanie more than anything. Even more than Val I suspected.

Grandma Mazur's POV:

Ain't this a pip. Joe Morelli was a bad cop and I had the inside scoop. When I thought of all the things Morelli had put my little Stephanie through, I moved my dentures around with my tongue and my eyes narrowed. I hope you make it Joe Morelli. Because I got you in my sights and I have plans for you. I smiled. Wait till I talked with the girls down at the Cut and Curl. I smiled even wider thinking of all the things we could do to him.

Angie Morelli's POV:

I couldn't believe it when I got the call. This was every mother's worst nightmare. It relegated the thought of Joe and Stephanie getting married to second worst nightmare. When we got here I kept expecting Stephanie to come over and tell us how sorry she was Joe got shot. Not a word. Then when Bella started rambling on and those thugs said such harsh words to her, well I thought maybe she might tell them to ease up on Bella as she was grieving. Not a word. Now though I hear her saying Joe was a bad cop and would have killed her if that Ranger person hadn't stepped in front of her. I can't help thinking we would all be better off if he'd let her take the bullet.

My poor little Joe. He was always such a kind little boy. I tried to protect him but I wasn't strong enough. My husband always took his rage out on the boys and for some reason he was more vicious to Joseph. I was happy to pay Abruzzi. I paid him with the only thing of value I had. I gave him one night in exchange for my husbands death. Then when he took a shine to Joseph, well that was okay too. I saw how my little Joey flourished under his care. I wondered where Abruzzi was. I would call him later and see if I could arrange something for that no good slut Stephanie.

Bella Morelli's POV:

I sit here and think of what I'll do to these people. How harsh they were when I wanted information on my Joseph. They will pay. I'll give them all the eye. First in line is that no good slut. I make her pay for treating my little Joseph so poorly. I hear her saying he was a bad cop. She's lying. I'll prove it. No matter what the cost I prove it.

Lula's POV:

I can't believe everything that's happened in the past few days. Tank's told me a lot of it. How Abruzzi had Steph kidnapped and the DVD of Ramirez hurting me like he did. I still can't believe that Morelli has been a bad cop all this time and behind everything. That he worked for Abruzzi. I am so thankful that Steph is okay. I pray that Ranger makes it. I know how much she loves him. I've watched her falling in love with him for the past several months and I want her to have a happy ending. She deserves it. As for Angie and Bella Morelli, well they better stay far away from Steph or they'll have to answer to me.

Stephanie's POV:

I turn as a doctor comes from the doors leading to the emergency room. There's a look on his face and I know it's bad. He shakes his head and says, "We did all we could. I'm sorry. He didn't make it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**I turn as a doctor comes from the doors leading to the emergency room. There's a look on his face and I know it's bad. He shakes his head and says, "We did all we could. I'm sorry. He didn't make it."**_

Chapter 5: Dead Or Alive

Stephanie's POV:

I watch as Bella and Angie Morelli cry out in anguish. I'm surprised I don't feel even a tiny bit saddened. Morelli was a big part of my life for a lot of years. My only defense for feeling nothing is what I've learned about him and knowing he was willing to kill me had wiped out any emotion I might have at one point felt for him. I saw someone coming towards me from the corner of my eye. I wasn't surprised to see Tank, Bobby and Lester step to my side and between me and the newcomer. I turned to see the Chief of Police stop a few inches in front of the guys.

"I'm sorry Stephanie. Sorry for everything officer Morelli put you through. In light of new evidence, I'm launching a full scale investigation into my own department. I want you to know I've already talked to Mickey Maglio and he admitted everything he and the others did to you. They've been arrested and will pay for the crimes they have committed."

I nodded. Carl, Big Dog and Eddie stepped up and joined the Chief. The Chief sighed, "It's going to be a long night gentlemen."

With that they turned and made their way out of the hospital. A couple seconds later Hector joined us. He asked Tank something in Spanish and Tank responded. Hector glanced at me and his eyes were gentle as he spoke in halting English, "Boss not die chica."

I nodded, "I pray you're right Hector."

Another man stepped from the doors leading to the emergency room. He was dressed in scrubs and there was a grim smile on his face. I heard Bobby's sigh of relief and knew. The doctor headed in our direction and Tank took hold of me on one side and Lester was there on the other. I vaguely saw Angie and Bella Morelli being marched out of the emergency room by grandma Mazur and my mother. I didn't have time to deal with that before the doctor was before me.

"Are you the family of Mr. Manoso?"

"Yes." I said.

"I'm pleased to let you know he made it through surgery just fine. We got all three bullets. The one that gave us the most trouble was the one near the heart. He lost a great deal of blood, but thanks to all of the donors we had more than enough to replace what was lost. He'll have to take it easy for several weeks."

"When can I see him?" I asked.

" He's in recovery now. It will probably be another couple hours before we allow visitors."

I nodded. Two more hours before I could breath easy. I thanked the doctor and watched as he walked away. Lula came over and Tank told her the news. She asked if she could get anything for me and I asked if she could go by my apartment and get me a change of clothes. I gave her my keys and asked her to feed Rex for me too. She gave Tank a look and he chuckled. He turned to Lester, "I'm leaving you in charge of Steph till I get back. Lula don't do so good with hamsters."

I smiled, "You could probably just drop him off at my parents."

"I'd still have to touch his cage. I just don't handle mice well. Tank will take care of Rex while I get your clothes. No problem."

I nodded. I found a seat and made myself as comfortable as possible. Lester and Bobby took up seats on either side of me, positioning themselves so they had a view of everything that was happening. We sat in silence for awhile. Then I could hold it in no longer and great racking sobs tore from me. Lester picked me up and sat down with me in his lap. He spoke soothingly to me and his hand caressed my back. The tears continued to pour out. I had no control over them. We still sat there when Tank and Lula returned. I looked up when Lester started fidgeting and noticed Tank sending him a glare that would have had a weaker man wetting himself.

"What's going on?"

"Sorry Tank. I lost it and poor Lester was stuck with the fallout."

I couldn't say for sure, but it looked like Tank was thanking his lucky stars he'd missed that part. Tank looked me in the eyes and asked, "You okay now?"

I nodded. "I still need to see him. But I'm better."

"I got your clothes for you Steph. I got you some sleepwear and a couple outfits."

"Thanks Lula. How was Rex?"

"Just fine. Tank fed him and then we dropped him off at your parents. Seems your mom and grandma had some excitement."

"Are they okay?"

" Right as rain. Angie and Bella Morelli was fixing to give you some grief when they found out Ranger made it. Your mom and granny took them outside and told them to go home and stay away from you. The Morelli women didn't like the sound of that and there was a tussle. The upshot was all four of them was arrested by officer Gaspick. When he got them down to the station there was quite an uproar. The Chief was pretty pissed off that the four ladies had been arrested and he let officer Gaspick know in no uncertain terms that the price he'd pay for arresting them would be his badge. Well, the good officer let the four women go and Bella Morelli went over to the Chief and spit in his face. The Chief warned her his patience was wearing thin and then Bella went and put the eye on him so the Chief turned to Gaspick and said he could arrest Bella but the rest of the ladies should be driven home. Well, when Bella was thrown into holding there were several gypsy in there. She got a little uppity with one of them and some words were exchanged. Upshot is, Bella got a curse put on her by one of the gypsies that does fortune telling."

I thought I heard Tank say it couldn't happen to a crazier person but I couldn't be sure.

I called my parents and my mother answered, "Hello?"

"Mom. Lula just told me what happened. Are you okay?"

There was a pause for a moment and then my mom asked, "Is this how you feel when you go after your skips?"

"What do you mean?"

"I felt so invigorated when I was taking on Angie Morelli. I mean, I wasn't happy about her tearing my dress and rolling in that garbage, but when I socked her a good one I felt ten feet tall. I can see why you like your job. It's such a rush."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Lula, Tank and the others stood there looking at me as I laughed, because instead of my mother asking why me, she was telling me she understood why I might like my job. "I'll talk to you later mom." I disconnected and when I relayed what my mom had said they all looked at me in stunned disbelief.

I headed over to the nurses station and asked if there was someplace I could shower. The nurse on duty was a girl I'd gone to school with. She checked her sheets and told me Ranger was being moved to room 319 and if I hurried I could slip in and use his shower before they got him up there. I relayed the information to Tank. He left Bobby and Lester to stay and he stood guard outside 319 while I showered and changed. I had just finished dressing and stepped into the hall when I saw they were bringing Ranger to the room. The doctor was with them and he frowned when he saw us. He asked to speak with us while Ranger was transferred to the room.

"I'm a little worried. The readings on Mr. Manoso are higher than I'd like to see them. I need to find a way to settle him. I'm contemplating giving him a sedative."

"No!" from Tank. "Ranger wouldn't like you giving him a sedative. I think all he needs is a visit from Stephanie and he'll settle down."

"I could hold off for a short while and see if that works. I'll have the sedative ready just in case."

As Tank and I made our way into Ranger's room I said, "Will you be able to stop them from giving it to him?"

Tank chuckled. "Have faith little girl."

I smiled and when we entered the room I reached out and squeezed Tank's hand. It hurt to see Ranger lying there not moving. There was a bandage around his chest and shoulder and he looked pale. His eyes were closed and even though he wasn't moving I could tell he was unsettled. The doctor had said Ranger's numbers were high and looking at the machines I could see he was right. I made my way over to the bed and put my hand on Ranger's uninjured arm. Tank pulled out his cell and called Bobby. A few seconds later Bobby and Lester entered the room.

"His numbers are pretty high." from Bobby.

Tank nodded, "They've lowered slightly since Steph put her hand on his arm."

Bobby, Lester and Tank looked at each other then they looked at me. My eyes widened, "What?"

Lester grinned, "We just had a thought Beautiful."

"And that thought was?"

"If Ranger settled slightly at just the touch of your hand, he might settle a lot more if you were plastered to his side."

I looked at the I.V. and all the equipment attached to Ranger. "I might hurt him."

Tank shook his head. "I can put you next to him while Bobby makes sure we don't disturb anything."

"You think it will help him?"

Bobby shrugged, "It can't hurt. The three of us aren't going anywhere. If you need anything we'll be here to help."

I nodded. "Okay. But let me put something else on first." I went into his bathroom and pulled out the night clothes Lula had brought me. Hmmm. I wouldn't mind wearing them for Ranger, but with the guys here...well, I didn't think that would be a good thing. I peeked around the door and motioned to Tank. He walked over and lifted an eyebrow.

"Did anyone bring clothes for Ranger for when he gets released?"

"Hector just dropped off a set."

"Can you hand me the t-shirt?"

There was silence for a second and then I added, "Need I remind you who chose my nightwear?"

The look on Tank's face was priceless and he couldn't get me the t-shirt fast enough. I slipped into the shirt and it hit mid-thigh on my legs. When I entered the room again, Lester gave a low whistle. Bobby elbowed him, "Cool it man. His numbers just spiked."

When I reached the bed, Tank asked if I was ready. I nodded and he lifted me like a baby and carefully placed me on Ranger's uninjured side. I was a little embarrassed the three of them were in the room with me dressed as I was lying in a bed with a naked Ranger. I couldn't help the blush that covered my face and hid my face in Ranger's chest as Bobby pulled the covers over us.

Lester leaned down and spoke softly, "Don't sweat it Beautiful. This is the most beautiful sight I've ever witnessed. You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Thanks Lester."

Within minutes Ranger's numbers were right where they needed to be. I lay my hand on his chest and closed my eyes.

Ranger's POV:

The last thing I recall was stepping in front of Babe. I knew my men would take out Morelli. My only concern was protecting my Babe. I was vaguely aware of the doctor saying my numbers were too high. He wanted to give me a fucking sedative. I knew Tank would make sure that wouldn't happen. I was still in that state between unconscious and conscious. What I needed right now was to know Babe was really okay. I couldn't rest until I was with her. I vaguely heard her talking and then I felt her hand on my arm. I wanted to reach out and touch her but as yet I was unable. Then I heard Lester whistle at Babe and I wanted to haul off and belt him one. I felt the covers lift and then Babe was beside me. The covers settled back over us and I felt at peace for the first time since before we headed back to Trenton. I let sleep claim me.

I'm not sure how long I'd been sleeping when I heard the light turn on. I knew Tank, Lester and Bobby were still in the room with us and when the light went on they were moving. A female voice was saying, "I can't allow all of you to stay here. You'll have to leave."

Tank growled, "This is Ranger Manoso. We're his bodyguards."

"There's a guard outside his door. That will have to be good enough. And absolutely no one else can be in the bed with him."

I heard Bobby say, "That's not a good idea."

Then there was a woman's gasp and, "I'm calling security."

Lester sighed, "Well, that went well."

A few seconds later there was movement again. "Gentleman, we'll have to ask you to leave."

Tank shook his head, "Not happening. We're bodyguards and as long as he's a patient in this hospital we stay. Check out the Rangeman contract."

"You didn't tell us they were Rangeman."

"It doesn't matter. It's against hospital policy..."

"Rangeman has a special contract with the hospital."

"Fine! But there can't be two people in that bed!"

"That we can help you with."

I heard Tank say, "I wouldn't do that."

I felt the hand coming near. It wasn't me they were after, it was Babe. I moved with lightening quick force and grabbed the arm reaching towards my Babe. I was ready to break the arm in two when I heard Bobby talking softly. "You don't want to try and separate them. She's keeping him calm. You try and mover her and he'll act with deadly force. When I get him to release your arm, you have to move back." Then I heard him calling my name. "Ranger. It's Bobby. You have to release his arm so he can move away. Everything's okay Ranger, just let go."

I debated but finally I released his arm. If he made another move towards my Babe though, I'd use any force necessary to take him out. The threat moved away and I was able to relax. My Babe was safely in my arms.

I heard the female voice complain loudly as they left the room and the male voice growled, "Fine! Go back and tell them yourself! I'm lucky to still have my arm attached to my body. I'd hate to come across that guy when he's fully conscious."

Stephanie's POV:

I woke and for a moment I was disoriented. I moved my head slightly and my eyes met Ranger's. I smiled. "So you finally woke up?"

"You okay Babe?"

"Yes. Thanks to you, the guys and Bunchy."

"Bunchy?"

"He was there. Seems he's been following Joe for some time. He figured there was more to things so he decided to keep tabs. He's the one who shot Morelli."

"How is Morelli?"

"Dead."

"How do you feel about that?"

I put my hand on Ranger's cheek, "As long as you're okay nothing else matters. I was so scared Ranger. When your heart stopped in the ambulance I felt like I was going to die too."

"I heard you Babe. You told me not to die on you damn it and you didn't come to this point to loose me. Then you whispered to me not to leave you, you love me and you can't make it if I don't. I couldn't leave you like that Babe."

I smiled at him and moved carefully so I could kiss his lips. At my slight movement Tank stirred. "You need up Steph?"

I sighed, "As much as I'd like to stay right here, I do need to use the bathroom."

Tank came over and Lifted me off Ranger. I hurried into the bathroom and quickly freshened up. I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I added just a touch of makeup before heading back out to Ranger. I'd just rejoined them when the doctor stepped into the room.

"Mr. Manoso, it's good to see you awake. I hear you caused quite a stir with your unorthodox methods."

Ranger raised an eyebrow. Bobby stepped forward, "You wanted his numbers to be more normal. It was the one way to insure that goal was met."

"Yes, yes. I guess we can overlook the breaking of rules for one night. Just so there's no repeat tonight."

"You won't have to worry about that because I'm checking out."

"No. Absolutely not. You need to remain here for the next 72 hours."

Ranger scowled at the doctor, "Not going to happen. I'm checking out within the hour."

"No. Not going to happen."

"Doctor, you're under the misunderstanding that you have a say. I'm telling you I'm checking out of here within the hour. Now either you get these tubes out of me or I have Bobby do it. I don't intend to stay another night in this hospital."

I watched as the doctor struggled but in the end he gave in and agreed to Ranger checking out. The poor man actually didn't have a chance at making Ranger stay in the hospital. Bobby agreed to keep a close watch on Ranger and to notify the doctor if anything came up. The guys stepped out and I helped Ranger dress. Once he was ready I called the guys to come back in and Tank was pushing a wheelchair. Ranger gave him a look but Tank just raised an eyebrow. I put my hand on Ranger's arm and told him it wouldn't be that bad. For several seconds he didn't move, but finally he sat in the wheelchair. I let out a sigh of relief that ended in a gasp as I was pulled down onto his lap. His good arm wrapped around me and when I looked up into his face he was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "Only way Babe."

I nodded, "All you had to do was ask."

He smiled, his full 2000 watts. "I like my way better."

I smiled too because his way _did_ have something going for it.

Tank pushed us through the hospital and out to the SUV. I stood up and Tank helped Ranger into the back seat. He was going to put him in the front but Ranger refused saying he was going to sit by me. I got in on the other side and scooted over so I was sitting beside Ranger. Lester got in on my other side.

"It's a hell of a lot nicer sitting beside you Beautiful than those two." He indicated Bobby and Tank.

Ranger turned and gave him a look and Lester just chuckled. We reached Rangeman shortly and then we headed upstairs. Tank asked Ranger if he felt up to stopping on 5 so the guys could see he was really okay. Ranger gave the smallest of nods as we entered the elevator. When the elevator stopped on the 5th floor we got out and made our way to the break room. Nearly every Rangeman employee was there. When Ranger walked in there was a collective sigh of relief. Although the guys had all been told Ranger made it through surgery, seeing him here and up and around let them know he really was okay. We spent several minutes talking with the guys. I noticed Ranger's color was paler than when we'd first arrived and had a feeling his energy was waning.

I smiled and said, "I hate to break this up guys, but I spent all night at the hospital and haven't had the chance to clean up. I'd really love to get upstairs and clean up."

The guys quickly agreed and only teased me a little. I think they figured it was a ruse on my part to get Ranger up to the apartment so he could rest. Rather than making a fuss about his condition, I put the blame for us leaving on my wanting to clean up. I think Ranger figured it out too because he gave me a look. I smiled and reached up to kiss him. We made our way back to the elevator and rode up to the penthouse. I left the guys while I went through to shower. When I'd showered, shaved, shampooed, dried and dressed I made my way back into the bedroom. Ranger was lying in the bed with his eyes closed. The minute I stepped into the room his eyes opened. He patted the mattress beside him and said, "Join me Babe."

I walked over and as carefully as I could I climbed onto the bed beside him. I made sure I was on his uninjured side and when I scooted over to him he wrapped his good arm around me. He closed his eyes and was asleep instantly. I lay quietly beside him not wanting to wake him. The next thing I know I'm waking up and the room is darker. I lifted my head enough to see it's nearly 6 p.m. My stomach let out a loud roar and I heard Ranger chuckling. "Time to feed the beast Babe."

I put my head against his chest and moaned. "That is so embarrassing."

"Don't sweat it Babe. Let's go see what Ella left us."

I carefully pulled away and sat up. "Better yet, why don't you stay here and I'll go check it out and bring it back here?"

"Are you trying to make me stay in bed Babe?"

"I don't know. Is it working?"

Ranger chuckled. "I guess I can indulge you for a little while Babe."

I laughed and headed out to the kitchen. Ella was there in person when I went into the kitchen. She smiled and said, "I'm so glad you are both okay dear."

"Thanks Ella."

She smiled, "I made Ranger's favorite."

I nodded, "I'll take it through to the bedroom."

Ella's eyes widened in disbelief. "He's_ never _allowed food in the bedroom."

I shrugged, "He did say he was indulging me."

"That he is dear. If you don't mind though, I'll wheel it through so I can see how he's doing."

I grinned, "Of course I don't mind. I'll get the drinks and give you a few moments alone."

Ella gave me a look of gratitude as she said, "Thank you dear."

When I entered the bedroom with the drinks, Ella was just getting ready to leave. We ate our meal of chicken enchiladas, rice and steamed vegetables. When we were finished I took the dishes back to the kitchen and cleaned everything up before returning to the bedroom. Ranger was sleeping when I got there. I was debating what to do when he spoke, "Get in bed Babe."

I grinned and joined him. The next time I woke it was morning. I slipped out of bed and showered and dressed. When I went into the bedroom, Ranger was still sleeping so I went through to the kitchen and helped myself to the breakfast Ella had left us. My phone chirped as I was finishing up and I answered it. "Hello."

"Hey Steph. You seen the paper yet this morning?"

"I just got up."

"You gotta check out the paper. The shit really hit the fan."

I finished the call to Lula and I disconnected. The paper was laying on the counter and I picked it up and started ready. My first thought was _'Oh shit!' _I continued reading and couldn't believe it. I finished the article and again thought_ 'Oh shit!'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8. I also have to add a spoiler for 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**The next time I woke it was morning. I slipped out of bed and showered and dressed. When I went into the bedroom, Ranger was still sleeping so I went through to the kitchen and helped myself to the breakfast Ella had left us. My phone chirped as I was finishing up and I answered it. "Hello."**_

"_**Hey Steph. You seen the paper yet this morning?"**_

"_**I just got up."**_

"_**You gotta check out the paper. The shit really hit the fan."**_

_**I finished the call to Lula and I disconnected. The paper was laying on the counter and I picked it up and started reading. My first thought was** 'Oh shit!'** I continued reading and couldn't believe it. I finished the article and again thought **'Oh shit!'_

Chapter 6: The Fallout

Stephanie's POV:

"What's so fascinating Babe?"

I turned to see Ranger standing in the doorway. I walked over and showed him the front page of the paper. He scanned it for a few seconds and nodded. "Nice picture. Looks like the cops have been busy."

"The Chief stopped by last night to apologize and tell me Mickey Maglio and several others had been arrested and they were looking into everything."

"Looks like the Chief meant what he said."

I nodded. My gaze met Ranger's. "Eddie told me Abruzzi's body was found in his car downtown. He said he committed suicide." There was no reaction from Ranger. He was wearing his blank face and there were no cracks to give me a hint to what he was thinking. I continued, "I asked him what time Abruzzi died and he asked me where I was."

That got a reaction. I could see Ranger was pissed. I lay a hand on his uninjured arm and went on, "I asked if he thought I had anything to do with it and he said not me but he wasn't sure about you. I told him about Abruzzi kidnapping me and you picking me up when I got away. I told him you were with me at the motel and he asked if I was sure you were there the whole time. I told him yes and he asked how I knew. I told him we were together all night."

Ranger looked into my eyes. I knew he realized I knowing lied to Eddie. He raised one eyebrow and said, "You didn't have to do that Babe."

I stared back at him for several seconds before reaching up and kissing him. "You didn't have to do what you did either."

No more was said. Our mouths met and we spent the next several minutes connecting in the only physical way open to us with Ranger's current injuries. When he released my mouth I spoke softly, "Why don't you sit down and I'll bring you some of Ella's delicious breakfast."

He sat down and I fixed him a plate with a bagel and lox. I set it before him and went to get him a bottled water. I sat across from him while he ate, waiting till he'd finished before we continued our discussion about the news on the front page.

_**Trenton Times**_

Trenton Police Department received a DVD detailing criminal activity of Detective Joseph Morelli. Officer Morelli admitted to working for Eddie Abruzzi from the time Mr. Abruzzi killed the officer's father. The tape states that officer Morelli went into the Navy to gain contacts and skills to help him in his work for Mr. Abruzzi. On returning to Trenton he became a Trenton Police Officer to further aid Mr. Abruzzi.

As you may recall, Officer Morelli was arrested as a suspect in a murder case. He was exonerated, but it has come to light that he was in fact guilty of not only killing the man he was originally suspected of killing, but he also raped and murdered the young woman who was reportedly his snitch. Officer Morelli was attempting to dispose of the young woman so she wouldn't be able to press charges against Benito Ramirez who raped and beat her before officer Morelli finished the job.

When Mr. Alpha took credit, the gentlemen thought they were in the clear. Although Mr. Alpha was in no way innocent, not all the crimes attributed to him were actually committed by him.

We have also learned that when Bombshell Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum and her Grandma Mazur burned down Stiva's funeral home, the guns and ammo in the basement were only 10% of what should have been down there. Officer Morelli and Mr. Abruzzi had appropriated the other 90% of the munitions and sold them at a profit. Fortunately for the city of Trenton, the full amount of munitions wasn't in the basement. Had they been then the city of Trenton would have lost our treasured daughter Ms. Plum.

Not content with his current money making outlets, officer Morelli fed information to Mickey Maglio, a fellow officer, about drug dealers. Officer Morelli did this in an attempt to get rid of the competition because Mr. Abruzzi had decided to expand into the drug trade. Uncle Mo was caught in the middle and ended up taking responsibility for officer Morelli's actions. We have further learned that officer Maglio and two other assailants lured Ms. Plum to Uncle Mo's candy store to assault her. Officer Maglio actually burned the back of Ms. Plum's hand and planned to do worse in an attempt to make her back off her search for uncle Mo. When Ms. Plum told officer Morelli she recognized the voice of one of the men as being officer Maglio's, officer Morelli played on their friendship to convince her she must be wrong.

It has further come to our attention that officer Morelli planned to confiscate counterfeit plates for Mr. Abruzzi. When one of Ms. Plum's FTA's borrowed her boyfriends car with the plates inside, she was arrested for stealing the car. Officer Morelli used the information he learned from Ms. Plum to help him in his search for the missing plates. Worse, officer Morelli fed Ms. Plum's stalker so Ms. Plum would feel the need to move in with him so he could keep her safe. Officer Morelli planned to use the relationship with Ms. Plum to put off his fellow co-workers who had started making noise about officer Morelli's involvement with Ms. Gilman, a niece and employee of Vito Grizzoli.

That brings us to the issues with RGC. As you know from previous issues, Allen Shempsky was arrested for multiple murders. He was skimming money from employees of RGC and the cable company, said employees were in turn skimming money from the owners of the businesses. Officer Morelli admitted his involvement was due in part with his involvement with Ms. Gilman and in part because Mr. Abruzzi and Vito Grizzoli were in discussions to become partners.

That is by no means the end of officer Morelli's transgressions. He planned to frame Bounty Hunter and security expert Ricardo Carlos Manoso for Homer Ramos' murder and he and Mr. Abruzzi planned to take the money from Mr. Ramos' venture into areas his family didn't hold interest in. Officer Morelli's reasons for doing so, because Ms. Plum and Mr. Manoso were spending too much time together and officer Morelli felt his hold on Ms. Plum was slipping. He figured with Mr. Manoso out of the way he could re-establish his hold on Ms. Plum.

As you know, Eddie DeCooch was recently in the news. It has come to our attention that officer Morelli had dealings in this case too that weren't exactly above board. It seems the wife of Louie D was none other that Mr. Abruzzi's half sister Sophia. Reports of her being as crazy as Mr. Abruzzi are reportedly true. I admit, the only reason we feel safe in reporting this is because Mr. Abruzzi has committed suicide. Sophia is in a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane.

Yes. It is true. Mr. Abruzzi has in fact committed suicide. He was found in his car where he had rigged a sawed off shotgun to blow his brains out. There was a suicide note stating that Mr. Abruzzi could no longer live with the things he had done. Recently we have learned that Mr. Abruzzi was after a Trenton native Evelyn Soder and her little girl for supposedly taking a medal that belonged to Mr. Abruzzi. We have further learned that when Ms. Plum's childhood neighbor asked her to look for the two, Mr. Abruzzi targeted and attempted to terrorize Trenton's own Bombshell Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum. We have further learned that Mr. Abruzzi had Ms. Plum kidnapped from her apartment parking lot and she was taken to Mr. Abruzzi's house in Pennsylvania. Ms. Plum was able to get free and make her way to a gas station where she called Mr. Manoso for help. I am happy to inform you all that Ms. Plum is unhurt. She risked her life to get officer Morelli to admit to all his crimes. If you are reading this Stephanie, know that we are happy you are unhurt and hope Mr. Manoso has a speedy recovery. Trenton owes you a debt of gratitude.

There were pictures of Joe, Terry, Vito, Abruzzi, Maglio and several others I knew had to be related to the story. That wasn't the only article though. At the bottom of the page was a picture of Bella and Angie Morelli and the headline read:

**_Morelli's forced to leave town_**

Due to recent events, the Morelli family has decided to put their homes up for sale and leave the city of Trenton. As you may have heard, Bella Morelli was recently arrested and put in a holding cell with a band of gypsies in town for the carnival. The gypsies were arrested for drunk and disorderly and released the following morning. Bella Morelli was arrested for assault and threats towards police. When grandma Bella was placed in the holding cell she was abusive verbally towards the gypsies and as a joke, the gypsy fortune teller put a curse on grandma Bella. Grandma Bella became outraged and tried to put the eye on her cell mates. As a result, grandma Bella went blind. Doctors can find no logical reason why she can't see.

When informed of the condition of her mother in law, Angie Morelli said she wants to go somewhere else and start over. She wants to get away from the town and the people who took her precious son from her. Other Morelli relatives feel they owe it to the family to stay together. Anthony Morelli says he has found several houses in a small community in Illinois where the family will move. He just hopes everyone will leave the family alone and let them heal. Joseph Anthony Morelli will travel with the family to the new location so he can be buried near the families new location.

There was a picture of grandma Bella and Angie Morelli. The picture that was used had to be from the night before because grandma Mazur and my mom were also in the photo. The four women were on the ground and you could tell they were fighting. The caption read:

_**Paybacks**_

_**As you see here, you can't mess with Bombshell Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum without taking on her whole family. Angie and Bella Morelli learn the lesson at St. Francis. They planned to give Ms. Plum a difficult time when she found out Mr. Manoso was going to be okay. The two women blame the two for the death of Joe Morelli. Helen Plum and Edna Mazur took the two women outside and explained the error of their ways to the two Morelli women. I guess we all know where Stephanie get it now don't we.**_

"Have you talked to your mom yet Babe?"

"Last night when Lula told me about the fight and that they were all arrested. My mom asked if that's how I felt when I went after skips. Seems she liked the adrenaline rush."

Ranger chuckled, "Only your family Babe."

I smiled and our eyes met.

Ranger's POV:

I was a little worried when I found out Morelli didn't make it, but I had no reason to be. I could see Babe felt no lingering regret. The article in the paper was not what I expected. Whoever wrote it was definitely a fan of my Babe's. I had a bad feeling about the author of the piece. I planned on finding out who wrote it and keeping them under surveillance until I learned more about them. Now I just had to keep Babe from getting wind of my suspicions. I'd finished eating my breakfast and we talked a bit about the articles. I pushed back and told Babe I was going to get cleaned up. She volunteered to help saying she could reach more place than I could. I held out my hand willing to endure the torture of her touching me and not being able to take it to it's natural conclusion. She came with me into the bathroom and I stripped. She helped me wash up, getting the areas I couldn't reach at this time as well as some I could. Things were getting pretty uncomfortable by the time she finished. She put her arms around me and said, "I'm sorry. I just needed to touch you and see for myself you were really here and okay."

I pulled her closer and captured her mouth with mine. "Nothing to be sorry for Babe."

We headed into the closet and she pulled out some clothes. I dressed and she helped where she was needed. Once I was fully dressed, and yes, I was fully "dressed", we headed for the elevator. I was planning on heading down to the office so I could check out who'd written the articles. I suspected Babe would be attached at my hip till she was assured I was really, really okay. Fine by me. I liked having her with me. With the limitations I had I figured it would be awhile before I could physically help the guys with take downs, so less chance of Babe getting in trouble. Plus with her so close I could keep watch over her better.

Stephanie's POV:

I had every intention of sticking as close to Ranger as I could till the doctor released him. I knew I had a better chance than anyone else of getting him to take it easy. Plus there were the articles in the paper. My stomach was queasy and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end while I was reading the articles. Whoever penned them was too much in my corner. I didn't need another stalker right now, but if that's how this turned out I intended to do everything in my power to safeguard Ranger. Now I needed to keep my suspicions from him while I looked into this. I'd have a talk with Tank when we went down to the 5th floor.

Once Ranger was ready we headed down to 5. We stopped by so he could talk to the guys on monitors and I saw Tank headed for his office. I told Ranger I wanted to ask Tank about something and he nodded. I casually made my way to Tank's office and knocked. At his, "Enter." I opened the door and stepped into his office.

Tank looked up and he looked surprised to see me. "What can I do for you Steph?"

"Did you read the article in this mornings paper?"

"Yeah. Pretty impressive."

"Did you get anything else from it?"

Tank stilled for half a second before lifting an eyebrow and asking, "What do you mean?"

"Didn't it seem like whoever wrote that article was too much in my corner?"

He waited a few seconds before answering, "I guess I didn't pay much attention to it."

I had the feeling he was keeping something from me. I sighed and put my hands on my hips, "Damn it Tank! This is no time to be jerking around! What if this turns out to be another stalker? I'm not taking chances with Ranger's safety. I need some help here. I think we should find out who wrote the article and do some background on them."

"I'll look into it Stephanie. I'd never jerk around with your safety."

I sighed, "I know. Thanks Tank."

He nodded and I left to go back and join Ranger.

Tank's POV:

I had just entered my office and was planning on calling the Trenton Times to see who the hell penned that article on Stephanie. It was a glowing article that showed her in the best light. Too glowing. My internal radar was screaming stalker and I wanted to check into it before it bit us in the ass. I'd no more than sat down when there was a knock on the door. I didn't bother to look up as I said, "Enter." I continued looking through my rolodex to find the number I needed. When Stephanie walked in I looked up in surprise. "What can I do for you Steph?"

"Did you read the article in this mornings paper?"

"Yeah. Pretty impressive."

"Did you get anything else from it?"

I stilled wondering where she was going with this, "What do you mean?"

"Didn't it seem like whoever wrote that article was too much in my corner?"

I waited a few seconds before answering, not wanting to give away my true feelings on the subject, "I guess I didn't pay much attention to it."

She sighed and put her hands on her hips, "Damn it Tank! This is no time to be jerking around! What if this turns out to be another stalker? I'm not taking chances with Ranger's safety. I need some help here. I think we should find out who wrote the article and do some background on them."

"I'll look into it Stephanie. I'd never jerk around with your safety."

She sighed, "I know. Thanks Tank."

I nodded and she left, I assumed to head back to Ranger. Hot damn did that girl have good instincts. I shook my head and continued flipping through the rolodex. Here we are. Trenton Times. I dialed the number and asked to speak with the editor. When he answered I told him who I was and asked what he knew about the author of the piece in this mornings paper. What he told me then surprised the hell out of me. I hung up the phone and groaned. My only thought as I sat there with my head in my hands wondering how I was going to let Ranger know this was _'Damn Bombshell, not another fucking stalker!'_

Ranger's POV:

I was relieved when Babe said she wanted to talk to Tank for a minute. That would give me a chance to talk with Bobby and Lester. They were heading into the Comm room as I nodded to her. I waited till she entered Tank's office then I motioned them over. I wanted Hector and Ram in on the conversation and they were working monitors. I asked them if they saw the article in the Trenton Times and they had. Then I mentioned the tone of the article and I thought maybe this might turn into another stalker. They expressed the same concern. As a matter of fact, that's why they were here now. They were headed to Tank's office to see what he thought. I nodded and told them I wanted the name of the author and any background information they could dig up. We'd just concluded our conversation when Babe exited Tank's office and headed back in my direction. I nodded to the guys and Babe and I headed for my office. I figured we'd spend some time there before heading back up to 7.

Lester's POV:

When Ranger motioned us over I figured he'd gotten the same feeling as the rest of us when we read the paper. Yup! This had stalker written all over it. When Beautiful came out of Tank's office the conversation ended. They headed for Ranger's office and the rest of us stood there looking at each other. Our thoughts were interrupted as Tank stepped out of his office and stormed over to us. His face was like a thundercloud and I prayed I hadn't done anything to piss him off lately. He threw the Trenton Times down on the desk in front of Ram before putting his hands on his hips and saying, "I want answers and there will be no excuses."

We stood silently waiting. Something was up. Something bad. Finally he sighed and ran his hand over the top of his head. I'd bet he wished he had hair at a time like this. He looked at us and spoke softly. "I called and talked to the editor of the Trenton Times. I told him I wanted information on the author of that article."

At this point I'd had enough of his drawing this shit out, "Out with it man! Just give it to us so we can deal with what you found out."

He glared at me but I stood my ground. Hell, this was Beautiful we were talking about. If there was another crazy after her I wanted to know so I could find the son of a bitch and neutralize him.

What Tank told us next had us all freezing in our tracks. _Damn! Damn, Damn, Damn!_

_Yeah, I know. Another cliffie. I can't help myself! I'm addicted. I need serious help to get over this addiction for leaving the story hanging over a cliff. However, you all took the last one better than the one where no one knew if it was Ranger or Morelli who died. I got threats on that one. I had a couple with the last one, but not as serious as the other time though. I'm still typing though. Hopefully you'll get the next update real soon. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**"I called and talked to the editor of the Trenton Times. I told him I wanted information on the author of that article."**_

_**At this point I'd had enough of his drawing this shit out, "Out with it man! Just give it to us so we can deal with what you found out."**_

_**He glared at me but I stood my ground. Hell, this was Beautiful we were talking about. If there was another crazy after her I wanted to know so I could find the son of a bitch and neutralize him. **_

_**What Tank told us next had us all freezing in our tracks. Damn! Damn, Damn, Damn!**_

Chapter 7: The Stalker

Stephanie's POV:

I settled into the sofa as Ranger worked at his desk. I couldn't help but worry about the person who wrote that article in the paper. I bit my bottom lip and wondered if Tank had a chance to find anything out yet. Maybe I could make an excuse and go out and check with him. I looked over at Ranger and sighed. _ Busted! _Don't ask me how he knew, but I knew the minute I looked in his eyes he did in fact know. I smiled weakly and he just shook his head and said, "Babe."

"I thought I might go and grab a bottle of water. You want one?"

"Have Tank come back with you Babe."

"Tank? You want to talk to Tank?"

"Is there some reason I shouldn't talk to Tank Babe?"

"No. Why would you think that?"

Suddenly he was standing in front of me and lifting my chin so our eyes met. I sighed, "How'd you know?"

"Know what Babe?"

I glared at him and he had the nerve to laugh. "It's written all over your face Babe."

I groaned. "I was trying to protect you. You're still recovering from this and I didn't think you should be worried I might have picked up another stalker."

He wrapped his good arm around me and covered my mouth with his. When he released my mouth he spoke softly, barely above a whisper, "I've already talked to Bobby, Lester, Hector and Ram. They were directed to speak with Tank."

I nodded. "That's why I wanted to talk to Tank earlier."

Ranger laughed. "Why am I not surprised. Okay Babe. They've had plenty of time to get some answers. Go get the waters and I'll call them in."

I reached up and kissed him before heading to the break room. When I got back the guys were already in there sitting around. Lester grinned and patted the arm of the sofa beside him. Ranger gave him a heated look and Lester paled before raising his hands in the air in surrender. I walked over to Ranger and carefully sat on his lap. He wrapped his good arm around my waist and nodded to Tank.

"I know Babe asked you to check out the articles in the paper. What did you find out?"

"I called the editor and asked him about the author. He told me he doesn't know who wrote the stories. No one knows. Seems when they came in this morning, the papers were already printed and distributed. The police were in and dusted for prints, but with so many people working at the paper it's slow going. I called the Chief and told him our concerns. He's agreed to keep us in the loop."

Something about the picture of my mom and grandma fighting with Angie and Bella was nagging at me. I picked up the paper that was still on Ranger's desk and took another look. I couldn't be sure because it was so small, but I thought I caught a glimpse of something. I raised my head and saw the guys watching me_ very _closely. My eyes widened and I asked, "What?"

Tank shook his head, "We've come to respect your instinct Steph. What do you see little girl?"

"I'm not sure. The picture is so small. Is there a way to blow it up yet still keep the same quality?"

Hector nodded. Lester had been running the conversation in Spanish for him. At his nod, Ranger asked him to do what he could to increase the size. Hector took the paper and left the room. It would take Hector some time to blow up the photos and so the guys left to get on with their work.

Hector's POV:

I wondered what Chica saw in the photo. I made my way to my lab and picked up the magnifying glass. I held it over the picture to see if I could pick up on anything. I shook my head. There was something here that caught her attention but I couldn't see it. I got to work and carefully blew up the picture so it was larger, yet still kept the quality. I had just put the final one in to finish and cleaned up the lab. When the timer dinged I took out the photo and looked. _ Holy Hell! _I raced with the photo in my hand to Ranger's office.

Stephanie's POV:

Ranger was finishing up for the day. It had only been a few hours since we came down here, but I got him to agree to taking it easy today. We were getting ready to head back up to the apartment when there was a rapid knock on the door. Ranger called, "Enter."

Hector came in with the photo in his hand and bypassed me and handed Ranger the photo. Ranger took one look at the photo and the expression on his face said it all. I'd hate to meet this Ranger in a dark alley. He looked at me and motioned me over. I walked over and stood beside him. He held the photo so I could get a good look at it. I gasped. This was totally unexpected. I looked up and met Ranger's gaze, "Do you know who this is?"

Ranger nodded. I shook my head, "Why would he be behind this?"

"I don't know Babe. But we need to find out."

I nodded. "Do you want me to go talk to him?"

"Not until we have an idea of what he's after Babe."

"Okay, so how do you want to handle this?"

"I'm going to put a shadow on him and see what he does. How would you like to do some delving?"

"You want me running the programs on him?"

He nodded. "I think that's what we need to do right now."

"Okay. Can I use the laptop in your office on 7?"

"It's all yours."

We made our way up to the penthouse and Ranger went into the kitchen to see what Ella had left and I went into Ranger's office and picked up the laptop. I carried it through to the den and sat down on the floor, setting the laptop on the coffee table. I had the first program up and running when Ranger joined me. He was carrying a platter of sandwiches and a couple of bottle waters. He set the sandwiches so they were in reach for both of us and handed me one of the waters.

Ranger indicated some papers lying on the coffee table. "What's this Babe?"

"Those are all the names I could remember. I figured I'd run them threw the search programs too and see what shows up."

Ranger put his hand on the back of my neck, "Proud of you Babe. You caught the bit in the photo and you've got good instincts here as well."

I looked up at him and he placed his hand on my cheek and ran his fingers back and forth. "I just hope this turns out well for us. I don't want you to get hurt protecting me."

"We'll find the answers Babe."

I nodded. After awhile Ranger put his legs up on the sofa and lay back. His eyes closed and I continued working while he slept. His hand was rested on the back of my neck. I was nearly at the end of the list on the first search when I found something. I froze for a minute not believing what I was seeing. But then I looked again and there it was. Damn! How could I have missed this all those years ago? As if he was in tuned to my thought wave I felt Ranger's hand move on my neck.

"What's up Babe?"

"I found something."

Ranger sat up gingerly and leaned forward to see what I had found. "Damn Babe. That's like finding a needle in a haystack."

"I was motivated."  
Ranger chuckled. He pulled out his phone and a moment later I heard him say, "We need you on 7. Same group from my office."

A few seconds later we heard the ding from the elevator and Tank, Bobby, Lester, Hector and Ram walked off the elevator and into the penthouse. They joined us in the den and Ranger motioned for them to be seated. Ranger waited till they were all situated and then he said, "Babe found something. I called you all up here so you could see what she's found."

I turned the laptop around so they could see for themselves the information I'd come across. Their responses although varied, conveyed the same message. Lester said it best. "Hot damn Beautiful! You cut right to the fucking elephant in the room."

I took that to mean I found the boogie man who was probably my newest stalker. Ranger put Hector and Ram on the target. Ram looked through my notes and copied several of them to take with him.

Stalker's POV:

I smile as I look over my handiwork. I'm pleased with the outcome. The response was outstanding. I couldn't believe my stroke of luck when mom Plum and Grandma Mazur took Angie and Bella Morelli out to the parking lot at the hospital. I'd been planning this for years. Ever since that day...I smiled. I needed to focus and play nice for now. Soon I could start the turn. By the time I got done with that bitch she was going to regret ruining my life. I'd make sure she regretted it all. I had all those aspirations and she ruined my fucking career with her vindictive actions.

Ram's POV:

Hector and I made contact with the target. Now our task was simple. Follow him and make sure we didn't loose track of him. If we failed, there wouldn't be a rock big enough to hide us from Ranger. Where Stephanie was concerned, failure was _not _an option.

Hector's POV:

I had placed my trackers. Although I was confident, I didn't plan to get careless. I owed Ranger my life. I would not fail to protect Chica. She was important to Ranger so she was important to me. In this I had to admit that she would be important to me even if Ranger hadn't ordered us to protect her always. She was a light in my dark world. I'd come to love and respect that light, and I wasn't willing to let it go from my world. I had visual on my target. I would not rest until this new danger was dealt with.

Stephanie's POV:

Ranger and I ate the dinner Ella brought us and Ranger indulged me by watching a Rangers game. After the game we headed for the bedroom. I made sure Ranger settled first and then I scooted in on his uninjured side. I lay my head on his chest and within minutes my eyes were closed. With everything that went on today, there were many thoughts racing through my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about my newest stalker and wondering what he hoped to gain by his actions. Right now he seemed to be firmly in my corner. I knew that wouldn't last. The one thing I knew for sure was that he was an ass. Talk about a lying face. I'd watched him practice his looks enough to know he had quiet a few. He might not be as bad as Morelli, but he was definitely no choir boy.

_(This is a very short chapter. I will try to post more within the next couple days. I thought you all might like some clues to help you with who her stalker is. I have given you some clues and lets see if anyone can figure it out before I post the answer.)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**Ranger and I ate the dinner Ella brought us and Ranger indulged me by watching a Rangers game. After the game we headed for the bedroom. I made sure Ranger settled first and then I scooted in on his uninjured side. I lay my head on his chest and within minutes my eyes were closed. With everything that went on today, there were many thoughts racing through my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about my newest stalker and wondering what he hoped to gain by his actions. Right now he seemed to be firmly in my corner. I knew that wouldn't last. The one thing I knew for sure was that he was an ass. Talk about a lying face. I'd watched him practice his looks enough to know he had quiet a few. He might not be as bad as Morelli, but he was definitely no choir boy.**_

Chapter 8: A Brilliant Plan

Joyce Barnhardt's POV:

I had no clue why that little rat Dickie Orr wanted to see me. He called me at 3 fucking a.m. and asked me to stop by. I only came to see what the little creep wanted. What can I say, I'm nosy, so sue me. The only benefit I got from that fuck was the look on Stephanie's face when she walked in and saw us. I had to admit, the only reason I'd done it was because I was jealous of her. She had it all. The loving family, the looks, even the brains. She had everything I'd ever wanted. That's why I'd always tormented her when we were kids. Plus I'd always had the hots for her. I didn't understand the urges I'd had as a kid, I only knew she was everything I wanted. Then I grew up and got caught in this awful sexual merry-go-round. I hated every minute of it but had no clue how to break free.

I rang the doorbell and waited for the prick to answer the door. He had that oily smile on his face he wore that day too. He stepped back and asked me to come in. My only thought was hearing him out and getting out of here.

What do you want?"

He smiled, "I have the perfect way to get Stephanie Plum."

I raised an eyebrow and listened, "Go on."

He handed me the paper. I glanced down to see it was this mornings paper. "I read it."  
He nodded. "I'm the author."

So how is that going to get Stephanie?"

"I've got it all planned. The complimentary articles are just the beginning. Soon I'm going to start blowing up her cars and leaving notes that if I can't have her no one can. After a couple weeks of that, I'll start terrorizing her family and kill that rat of hers. Finally I plan on getting arrested and not appearing for court so she has to come get me. When she does, I have it all planned so when she comes in the house where I'll be, I'll knock her out to give me time to get out and then blow up the house. Bye bye Stephanie."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I need help and you are the only one who hates Stephanie as much as I do."

"What if I tell you no?"

He laughed, "You won't. You hate Stephanie. Besides, I'm giving up my law practice to get arrested. One more murder would mean nothing."

I felt a cold chill race up my spine. He meant it. _ Shit!_ Now what the fuck did I do? I smiled, "You know me so well. But why do all this? After all, you're a lawyer, you have a great life ahead of you."

His eyes turned hard. "I have nothing. She ruined my chances at public office when she drug our divorce through the gutter. I have zero chance of making partner in any reputable law office. Besides, I blame her for the death of my father and she's the reason my mother is in a hospital for the criminally insane."

"What are you talking about? I thought your parents were a middle class couple living in upstate New York."

"That's what everyone thinks. They adopted me when I was a baby. My grandparents tore me away from my real parents."

"Who were they?"

He smiled and it was an insane smile. Every hair on the back of my neck stood up. Okay, new plan. Tell the idiot everything he wanted to know to get myself out of here. He didn't say anything, he just laughed. It felt like someone poured ice water down my back. Finally he seemed to focus on me and he asked in a creepy whisper, "You going to help me Joyce?"

I smiled and asked, "What do you want me to do?"

He looked at me for several seconds with those vacant eyes. Then he smiled that awful smile and said softly, "_Die. I want you to die!_" and he lunged at me with a knife.

Eddie Gazarra's POV:

I carefully made my way into the house. I'd gotten the call and as soon as I pulled up I recognized the house. This is the place where Stephanie and Dickie had lived when they were married. The door was open and I cautiously made my way through each room. What I found shocked me. Joyce Barnhardt lay on the floor with a knife sticking out of her gut. I heard a raspy sound that led me to believe she was still alive if only barely. I called for a bus and approached. She turned and our eyes locked. She was trying to say something but I couldn't quite catch it. I told her to save her strength. She shook her head no. I got closer and what I heard had me wanting to get to Stephanie as quickly as possible.

"Tell Stephanie I'm sorry...Tell her Dickie is out for her... He planned it all... He's going to get bonded and go FTA so she goes after him... He'll lead her to house and knock her out so he can get out... Blow up the house... Terrorize her family... Said she's the reason his mother is in hospital for criminally insane... Blames her for death of his father...recent... Tell her sorry, please forgive me."

Her eyes rolled back into her head and closed. A couple minutes later the EMT's were there but there was no hope. They said she was dead as soon as the knife went in her. I noticed Carl and Big Dog had arrived on the scene and I hurried over and told them everything she'd told me. Carl told me to get to Steph and they'd cover her parents and grandma. As I was in route, I called dispatch and asked to be patched into the Chief. I told him everything Joyce had told me and he said he'd just gotten a call from Rangeman with information indicating Orr as the author of the recent article in the paper. Seems they already suspected him of being a new stalker. I pulled up in front of the Rangeman building and got out, making my way quickly inside. I entered the lobby and recognized the man sitting behind the desk. Not by name but by his face. I showed him my badge and said, "I need to talk to Ranger and Stephanie right away. It's a matter of life and death."

The man before me narrowed his eyes and looked over my badge. The next instant the elevator door opened and Ranger came striding out. "Gazarra? What's going on?"

"I just came from a call. Joyce Barnhardt was stabbed. Said to tell Stephanie Dickie is out to get her. He's going to go FTA so she has to go after him. He'll lead her to a house and when she comes in he'll knock her out and blow the house once he's out. He plans to terrorize her family as well. He blames her for his father's recent death and for his mother being in a hospital for the criminally insane. She also wanted me to tell Stephanie she was sorry."

"You believe her?"

"She told me as she was dying. I think she was trying to stay alive long enough to get a warning to Stephanie. The EMT's said she was dead the minute she was stabbed."

Ranger nodded. "I'll let Babe know."

"Carl and Big Dog are keeping an eye on her family."

Ranger raised an eyebrow, "I know. Woody and Binkie called in to say they had official company."

I smiled. "I also called and let the Chief know. Ranger, when she told me, it felt like someone poured ice water down my neck."

"I'll take care of Babe Eddie. Orr tries to get to her I'll deal with him."

I nodded.

Dickie Orr's POV:

I smile as I sit here in my car waiting for my moment. I know just what to do. I'm going to start with grandma Mazur. I'm going to enjoy making that old bat suffer. She never thought I was good enough for her granddaughter. Telling everyone she knew I'd never amount to anything. I'll show her. I have great plans for her..._Shit!_ There's a Trenton Police car pulling into the drive with lights flashing. Looks like I'm going to have to bide my time. I put the car into gear and drive off slowly so as not to draw attention to myself. That's okay...I have cars to blow up before I go for the old bat.

Hector's POV:

I smile. He has no clue I've placed a tracker on his car. What's more, I have a tracker on his person. One that will never be found and will stay with him always. It was easy enough to slip the blip into his coffee. This blip was a smart blip. Once ingested it attaches itself to the target and bores itself in, never to come out again. At least until the autopsy. Ram and I continue to follow our target. We are waiting only for Ranger to give the word.

Stephanie's POV:

Ranger walked off the elevator into the penthouse and I knew something had happened. He tells me Joyce Barnhardt is dead and Dickie is the one who stabbed her. She told Eddie everything Dickie had planned and said he blames me for his father's recent death and his mother being in a hospital for the criminally insane. Something about that strikes a chord with me and I race to the computer. My fingers fly over the keys as I type in the information I'm looking for. I search as fast as I can, knowing it's there and then finally, there it is...I turn to Ranger and say, "Dickie was adopted by the Orr's. His birth mother was Sophia and his father was Eddie Abruzzi."

Ranger leans forward and reads the page up on the computer screen. "Good work Babe. You found the connection. Eddie said Carl and Big Dog headed over to your parents. Seems he planned to terrorize them as well. He said Joyce said she was sorry. She wanted him to tell you."

I looked down at the computer screen and for several seconds I didn't say anything. I bit my lip and looked up into Ranger's gaze, "Does he think she was telling the truth?"

"Eddie says the EMT said she was dead the minute she was stabbed. Eddie thinks she tried to stay alive long enough to tell someone what Orr planned so they could warn you."

I nodded. "I'd like to remember her like that. I'm sorry she had to die though." I paused for a minute and then asked, "So how are we going to deal with Dickie?"

I could send him to a region in Africa Babe."

I laughed. "I don't think he should get off so lightly."

Ranger nodded, "I like your thinking Babe."

I had a sudden thought. "I remember one Halloween when we went to a haunted house. I was really excited about going. Halloween is my favorite time of the year after all, and I'd been looking forward to going to this new haunted house that everyone was talking about. Dickie whined and complained the whole time. Thing is, thinking back on it, I think it really scared the shit out of him for some reason. I mean it wasn't super scary by any means. But I really think it scared him."

"Tell me what you remember about the house Babe."

I told Ranger where the house was located and how it was decorated. I went room by room so he'd get the overall effect. When I was done he was wearing a smile on his face. I raised my eyebrows and looked expectantly at him. "What? Tell me."

I think you just figured out how we can pay Mr. Orr back."

My eyes widened. _ Shit!_ Ranger was going to _scare him_ to death.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**I had a sudden thought. "I remember one Halloween when we went to a haunted house. I was really excited about going. Halloween is my favorite time of the year after all, and I'd been looking forward to going to this new haunted house that everyone was talking about. Dickie whined and complained the whole time. Thing is, thinking back on it, I think it really scared the shit out of him for some reason. I mean it wasn't super scary by any means. But I really think it scared him."**_

"_**Tell me what you remember about the house Babe."**_

_**I told Ranger where the house was located and how it was decorated. I went room by room so he'd get the overall effect. When I was done he was wearing a smile on his face. I raised my eyebrows and looked expectantly at him. "What? Tell me."**_

"_**I think you just figured out how we can pay Mr. Orr back."**_

_**My eyes widened**. Shit! __** Ranger was going to **__scare him__** to death.**_

Chapter 9: Scared To Death

Hal's POV:

I couldn't believe the fantastic assignment Ranger just gave me. Damn! How lucky could a guy get after all. I smiled as I walked out of Ranger's office. I saw the guys giving me second looks, wondering why I was smiling. After all, we all knew Stephanie was in danger from another stalker. Even though we knew who it was and we were already shadowing him, this was _not_ a time to be smiling. Shit! Looks like Vince was upset about something and by the way he was looking at me I could guess what had upset him. I held up a hand and said, "I can explain."

Vince crossed his arms across his chest and growled, "I'm waiting."

"Ranger just asked me to set up a haunted house. Man, you know how much I love haunted houses. The scarier the better as far as I'm concerned, right? He just gave me carte blanche."

Vince frowned, "Why..."

I had a feeling I knew why he stopped talking and I turned around. Yup. There was Ranger standing in the doorway of his office glaring at us. Gulp. Maybe I should ask Ranger to be one of the guys in the haunted house doing the scaring. He sure as shit could scare me in the light of day. Imagine what he would do to some poor unsuspecting son of a bitch in the dark. I noticed Vince had paled when he caught sight of Ranger.

Ranger's tone was deadly soft as he asked, "Don't you two have jobs to do?"

I nodded like a bumbling idiot. My only consolation was Vince was doing the same thing. Damn that man was scary!

I gave Vince a look and made my way towards the stairwell. I was heading out to check out locations for the haunted house. I had several possibles, and Stephanie had given me the address for the house that had prompted the idea. I was going to save that one for last. It didn't take long at the first three houses. Why anyone would even consider them was a mystery to me. The 4th house had potential. The next two were worse than the first three I'd seen. I knew I'd hit pay dirt when I pulled up to the last house. Fist of all it was in the woods. There was a lane leading to the house that added to the creepy feel. I got out and looked around. I had the notes from Stephanie and as I went through each room I read through the notes for that room. I could visualize it all. I added notes of my own, like which Rangeman would be best placed where. When I went down into the basement I found the place for Ranger. This basement had his name written all over it. This was the piece de la resistance. I took some pictures and headed back to the car. As I was getting ready to leave I felt something cold touch the back of my neck. I shivered involuntarily and if I moved a little quicker to my car no one was the wiser.

Once I was in the car I made a call and started the ball rolling.

Stephanie's POV:

I couldn't believe Hal had been able to do all this in three short days. Ranger and I walked through the haunted house and I felt cold chills racing down my back. It was so like it had been all those years ago, yet even more so. I looked to Ranger, "He's going to freak. This is more than spooky."

"He did a good job."

"So, when are we going to put this plan in motion?"

"Already has been. Eddie called him yesterday to ask him questions about Joyce being found in your old house. Eddie got the impression he thought he was in the clear. Eddie let slip you'd be coming here for the long weekend."

"You think he'll take the bait?"

"I think it will be too good for him to pass up."

I smiled. "So now what?"

"Tomorrow you'll drive your car here and park it out front. I'll be here waiting. Hector and Ram will let us know when they're on the way."

"How are you going to hide all the cars?"

"No need." Ranger pointed to an old, abandoned barn about 100 yards away.

"What if he decides to park there too?"

Ranger smiled and made a funny hand motion. If I wasn't watching I wouldn't have believed it was possible. The barn disappeared. There was nothing there. I turned back to Ranger and my shocked eyes met his gaze. His eyes were twinkling with humor.

"Okay, I guess that answers all my other questions." I'd just finished speaking when my stomach let out a loud roar. I blushed and Ranger laughed.

"Let's go feed the beast Babe."

We had just gotten in the Turbo when I had another thought. "What if he decides to get here before me and set the bombs here?"

Ranger grinned, "Proud of you Babe. No worries on that front because there will be vans parked here till you pull up. Tank and Bobby will be in one of the vans watching till you pull up. Then the vans will be moved to the barn."

I nodded. Seems he'd thought of everything. Now I just had to wait...the thing I hated the most, until tomorrow afternoon when I'd drive my car here and park it. Ranger and I stopped at Pino's for dinner. I got a meatball sub and Ranger ordered a salad and grilled chicken. There were several police officers I knew and I acknowledged them with a finger wave. We talked about a variety of things while we ate. When we'd finished, we made our way back to Haywood. We headed up to 7 and watched a documentary until 11 p.m. when we headed to bed. I snuggled close to Ranger's uninjured side and we went to sleep.

I woke late the next morning. Ranger was already out of bed and there was a note on his pillow. The note said he was going to his office on 5 to do some work and I should sleep in. Ella had left something for breakfast that I could reheat in the microwave. I checked the clock and it was a little after 7 so I laid back down and didn't surface again until 9 a.m. I got up and showered, shaved and shampooed. After drying off I dressed in a pair of black jeans, black work boots, and black t-shirt. I added gel to my hair and brushed it out before weaving my hair into a French Braid. I secured the end with a rubber band and then I added makeup. I picked up the black wind breaker as I headed for the elevator. I was anxious for this all to be over.

I stopped on 5 and made my way to Ranger's office. I knocked and waited for the okay to go in. He looked up as I walked into the room. "You have something I can do till its time?" I asked.

Ranger's eyes stared at me for several minutes before he motioned me forward. I headed for the chair in front of his desk but he said, "Here Babe."

He indicated his lap. I altered direction to comply with his directive and gently positioned myself on his lap so I wouldn't jar the injured shoulder. He leaned back and wrapped his good arm around my waist. I waited for him to let me know what was on his mind.

"I know you've been okay with staying on 7 since everything went down with Morelli. I'd like you to make it permanent Babe."

"You want me to live with you?"

Ranger nodded. "I know your family might not be keen on the idea, but I like having you close."

I turned so I could lay my head against Ranger's chest. "I'm enjoying spending more time with you. I don't feel like I'm being suffocated, which is how I felt when I was staying at Morelli's. Would you want me to give up my apartment?"  
Ranger grinned, "I had a thought about your apartment Babe. What if I were to take over the lease and we offer it to your grandmother. The people there are mostly her age anyway and I have a feeling your dad would be eternally grateful. Plus, you'd feel like you always had a safe place to go to if you needed it."

"I'd agree with that on one condition."

"What's that Babe?"

"I'd like to keep the lease in my name and I'd like to pay the rent."

Ranger looked into my eyes and his gaze held mine for several seconds before he nodded and said, "Whatever you want Babe."

"You won't mind having Rex here?"

"He doesn't bother me Babe."

I reached up and placed my lips on his. After several seconds he deepened the kiss. Things were getting pretty heated when there was a knock on the door. I groaned and we pulled away as the door opened.

Vince had come in with his head down over a piece of paper. He looked up and his eyes widened and he froze as he took in the scene. "Damn Ranger, I'm sorry. I'll..."

"What was so important you couldn't wait for an enter?"

Vince winced and his complexion paled, "Well...uh...see..."

Ranger's eyes narrowed, "If you don't spit it out you'll be on the next flight to Somalia."

"I just got a report on Vito Grizzoli. Seems he's been making inquiries into how much it would cost to take you and Stephanie out."

I felt Ranger tense and when I looked up into his face, I felt as if someone had poured ice down my back. There was stark fury in his gaze. I pitied Vito. Ranger would show him no mercy. I sighed. Ranger pulled me closer to him and kissed the top of my head. "It's okay Babe. I'll deal with this."

"I just wish it was all over. I mean seriously, why can't they just let things be?"

"Don't worry Babe. It _will_ be over. Soon."

Ranger and I ate the lunch Ella brought down for us and I did a few searches to give me something to do till it was time. At 3:30 Ranger stood and said he was headed to the house. I nodded. I would wait an hour and then make my way there as well. Once Ranger had left I stopped what I was doing and decided to run a check on Vito and Terry. If they were coming after us, I wanted information. Usually an hour isn't enough time to do a really good search, but I figured I could let the program run while I was gone and I might have something when I got back. I checked the progress on the search before I left to join Ranger and the others and I noticed there was another name on the search. I added another search and gathered my things. I made my way down to the garage and got into my POS car and headed out.

The house was in the Pine Barrens and it took me 45 minutes to make my way there. I called Ranger when I was 15 minutes out. When I pulled up in front of the house, Ranger was there waiting for me. We walked into the house together and once again, I couldn't believe the transformation Hal had been able to make in three days. The house looked innocent enough in daylight. But, when darkness fell the house would take on an otherworldly demeanor. Hal had decided the best place for me would be the attic. There was an overlarge rocking chair up there he thought would be a comfortable place for me to wait. Plus with all the windows up there I'd have more light to see. Hal hadn't touched the attic. He said something about not being allowed to change anything in the attic. I had no clue what he was talking about.

Ranger walked up there with me. It looked just like it had that night so long ago. I walked over to the window facing the road. The view was beautiful. It complimented the room. The curtains at the window were made of a gossamer material in a shade of ivory. The walls were a powder blue with a flower print running through it. Although the house was reported to be over 200 years old, the attic looked as fresh as if it had just been finished. There was a dark, royal blue carpet that covered the entire floor. The trim on the windows and the door was done in white, and the door itself was painted white, as was the ceiling. The oversized rocking chair was a dark mahogany, as was the trunk that sat in the corner. We'd been up there about 3 hours when Ranger got a call from Hector that they were on their way.

Ranger took me in his arms and said, "I wish I could be here with you Babe. For his sake, Hal better be right about this being the safest place for you."

I put a hand on Ranger's cheek and felt him relax. "I have my gun if I need it."

Ranger grimaced, "Is it loaded?"

"There was a note from Tank with it."

Ranger chuckled, "Then it's loaded. Alright. Stay safe Babe. No matter what you here from downstairs, you stay up here till I come get you."

I nodded. Ranger went to move away and I was overcome with the need to hold him close to me. I couldn't help myself as I wrapped my arms around him being careful of his injuries and telling him, "I love you Ranger. Please be safe."

He held me for as long as he dared before setting me away and slipping out the door. As I watched him go I whispered, _"Please don't let anything happen to him. He's my life."_

Manny's POV:

Man has Hal really outdone himself! When he asked me to be on the first floor along with Zip and Zero, I was excited to help. I was looking forward to scaring that asshole into an early grave for even thinking about hurting Stephanie. Our floor plan had the entry hall, parlor, front room, dining room, kitchen, pantry and mud room. Hal had rigged it so the second Orr stepped onto the porch the lights would go on. Once Orr stepped into our parlor, all the lights would go out and the eerie red light would illuminate the rooms on our floor. There was a pathway that Orr would have to follow. Going back was not an option. The only way he could get out was going forward. From our floor he would go down to the basement and then the second and then the third floors. If he made it to the attic we would all be at his back to make sure he never got close to Stephanie.

Show time! The lights all went on and I was in place. The front door opened slowly and Orr stepped inside. Hal had rigged the door to slam shut and everything went off like planned. The lights went out and I heard the panty waste quiver in fear. Everything was tinged red. I couldn't see what the bastard was doing but I sure as hell could hear him. Man, what had Stephanie ever seen in this little twerp? I knew what was happening. Hal had set up a dozen coffins in my part of the house. There was electrical fencing on either side of the path Hal wanted him following. There was no way for him to veer off the path without electrocuting himself. Zip was dressed to fade in with the background and he would be following Orr, touching him periodically to terrorize him a little more. Zero was in another coffin waiting his turn to scare the mother fucker.

Each of the other 10 coffins had dummies in them that were created to scare. There was a Tales From The Crypt skull-face that would scare most people in its gory detail. Zero and I had axes that we'd come up swinging when the lids to our coffins lifted. Plus Orr would be close enough for us to touch so we planned to grab hold of him. The lid to my coffin lifted finally and as planned I came up swinging and moaning. I had gauze around my head and my face had been painted to look gruesome. There was red food coloring on the gauze around my head and fake blood all over the place. I grabbed Orr by the front of his shirt and smelt fresh urine. Shit! The little panty waste wet himself and I hadn't even swung the ax yet. As planned I barely touched him with the ax so he'd have no more than a paper cut on his shoulder. Nothing serious but it sure as shit would hurt.

He ripped himself away from me...well, I let him go as planned and he ran screaming along the path with the other coffins opening pretty fast. He got to the last one and started slowing. It opened and Zero came out of there and grabbed him by the hair and swung his ax neatly taking the hair between his hand and Orr's head with him. Orr put a hand to the top of his head to make sure the top of his head was still in tact and he went blubbering through the door to the basement. I smiled. I would love to be a fly on the wall when he ran into Ranger.

Ranger's POV:

I could smell him the minute the door opened. I smiled. I was going to get to explain to Orr what happened when someone threatened my Babe. There was no light in the basement. I'd told Hal that was my one demand. When he paused, I'd waited him out to see if he'd question me but he showed good judgment when he'd just shrugged and said he was okay with Orr not knowing what hit him. I stood still waiting and listening for just the right moment. I could see him inching closer. He was already petrified and I growled, watching him start to shake. He kept looking back the way he'd come but too afraid of where he'd been to go back. I smiled. Soon he'd be more afraid of where he was and would be begging to go back.

I saw him step just where I wanted him and suddenly I whirled and gave him a roundhouse kick. He went down and started crying. Good. I wanted him afraid. The thought of what he had planned for my Babe made me want him _very_ afraid. With my good arm I elbowed him hard on the middle of his back and he went down to the ground. The smell of fresh urine told me he'd just pissed his pants again. I grabbed the back of his neck and jerked him up. I let go and hit him in the face with my fist. I heard the sound of bones breaking and saw blood spurt from his nose.

"Please, please, don't hurt me anymore. Please. I haven't done anything to you..."

I growled. Enough. I grabbed him by the throat and squeezed just enough to stop his breathing but not enough to kill him. I waited just long enough and then I threw him back to the steps. He rushed up the steps and scrambled through the door onto the first floor. I waited till I was sure he was on his way up to the second floor and then I headed to meet Manny, Zip and Zero. Hal had clued us in on how to bypass his path so we could head to the fourth floor without being seen.

Tank's POV:

Hal was a genius. He'd created a third world country on the second floor. All the explosives had minimal charge so no one would get hurt except the poor moron setting off the charges. He didn't want any of us on the second floor as a precaution. Here there was no visible path. The only way Orr would know he made a wrong turn was when he set off a land mine or an IED. As I said, there was barely any charge so all that would happen is Orr would get a sharp buzz, or he'd get clobbered by a club or two. This and the basement were the only two places Hal deviated from what Steph had told him. He figured this could be _our_ signature. I would have loved to see Orr getting his ass kicked by Ranger. Even hurt as he was, Ranger was a deadly enemy. I smiled as I pictured Orr running into a pissed off Ranger.

Bobby, Lester, Hector, Ram, Woody, Binkie, Hal and myself were all on the third floor waiting for our turn with the little bastard. There were eight bedrooms on this floor and we each had one. The rooms up here were and eerie green. We'd be able to see Orr but he couldn't see us. We were dressed to blend in except in that second he stepped close to us. Then we were dressed as his worst nightmare. We were made up to resemble walking corpses. The more gruesome the better. I was in the last room. When he left me, we'd all be following him. If he headed for the attic I knew Ranger, Zip, Zero, and Manny would be up there with Stephanie. The rest of us would be following him up.

I smelt him before he even got all the way up here. I'd guess he'd already wet himself twice already and smiled. I'd hope to make it a third time, but there were 7 other guys ahead of me and I didn't know if Orr had that much pee in him to still have any left by the time he got to me. I silently laughed at the sounds he was making as he moved closer to my location. Guess he was in for a bad night. I saw him as he entered the room. The man was a wreck. His pants were soaked in urine and his face was all bloody. He had a truly bad haircut and the fear was pungent in the air. He was whimpering as he closed in on my location. Just...one...more...step...

_ "ARGH!"_

I smiled as I watched him run from me. Smack! Oh man! Right into the wall. He backed up and made it through heading towards the fourth floor. I was fast on his heels as were the rest of the guys.

Stephanie's POV:

I couldn't hold back the sob that was fighting for release. I couldn't lose Ranger. I loved him so much. I wandered over to the rocking chair and sat down. I used my foot to set the rocker in motion. I closed my eyes for a moment and that was the last I recalled.

Unknown POV:

She came back. I remembered her from the last time. She'd come with that other one. I_ hated _him! He didn't deserve her. She was a breath of fresh air. A light in an otherwise dark world. I loved her instantly. I couldn't stand seeing her with him so I talked to the others and we _scared_ him. I smiled. He was such a panty waste he wet himself. I laughed remembering. When she came by earlier today, I knew she would be back. I heard what they were planning but didn't know why. She came up here with him, not the hated one but another man, a leader among men. The plan was for her to wait up here while they dealt with someone. I watched them together and my heart was glad for her. Then when he left, I heard her whispered, _"Please don't let anything happen to him. He's my life." _I watched her as she sat in the rocker and set it in motion. I whispered to her, "Sleep my child. Sleep. I'll watch over you and your young man." I caressed her hair as her eyes fluttered closed. "I'll keep you both safe little one."

Even as I watched her sleep, I knew what was going on downstairs. I watched as that _hated _one came into this house in search for my little one. He would not have her. I smiled as I watched what they had planned for him. The best was when he went down to the basement. Oh I loved watching him get the shit knocked out of him. I allowed them into the room, knowing they were here to protect her. The man she was so worried about stopped when he saw her sitting here with me rocking, sound asleep. They didn't see me though, only her. The leader smiled as he looked at her and whispered, "Babe." She stirred but I didn't want her to see what was going to happen so I kissed her temple and thought "_Sweet dreams_." and she continued to sleep.

The hated one entered the room and I knew he saw me, just as he had all those years ago. Because I engineered it. He froze and I faced him and smiled. "So we meet again."

"You're not real."

"Real enough to you. I warned you what I would do if you ever tried to hurt her."

"You don't exist. You're a ghost!"

I smiled. "But you can touch me can't you. You see me. You hear my thoughts as I hear yours."

He covered his ears as if to block me out. I roared and he wet himself. I put my hands around his throat and squeezed. He started turning purple. "I could kill you with a thought. I'll protect her always. Stay away from her."

"She's the reason my father is dead and my mother is in a hospital for the criminally insane."

"They are responsible for what happened to themselves."

"_No_! It's all her fault. I'm going to kill her!"

My eyes glowed, "_YOU WILL NOT HARM HER EVER!_"

With that I crush him. Physically he lives, but mentally he will never recover. He is catatonic. I smile. I turn to my little one. I don't want her to see him like this. I don't want his evil to touch her. I put the thought out to call the police but no one obeys. I turn to their leader and he is looking at me. I plead. For several seconds we remain motionless.

He turns to the others and says, "Clean the house and clear out. We'll call it in anonymously."

Another young man steps forward, "What about Beautiful? Is she okay. Why is she still sleeping?"

"Spirits. They're protecting her just as we are. I'll carry her out to the Turbo and she should be awake by the time we get back to Rangeman." He turns back to me and I nod.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**My eyes glowed, "**__YOU WILL NOT HARM HER EVER!__**"**_

_**With that I crush him. Physically he lives, but mentally he will never recover. He is catatonic. I smile. I turn to my little one. I don't want her to see him like this. I don't want his evil to touch her. I put the thought out to call the police but no one obeys. I turn to their leader and he is looking at me. I plead. For several seconds we remain motionless.**_

_**He turns to the others and says, "Clean the house and clear out. We'll call it in anonymously."**_

_**Another young man steps forward, "What about Beautiful? Is she okay. Why is she still sleeping?"**_

"_**Spirits. They're protecting her just as we are. I'll carry her out to the Turbo and she should be awake by the time we get back to Rangeman." He turns back to me and I nod.**_

Chapter 10: Dealing With Vito

Ranger's POV:

I lifted Babe carefully and carried her out to the car. Tank, Bobby and Lester tried to argue with me saying I was in no condition to carry her. I met their gazes with a look and silence. They said no more. I was able to carry her mostly with my good arm. Tank opened the door and I allowed him to help ease her into the passenger seat. I went around and got behind the wheel and headed us back towards Rangeman. As we neared Haywood Babe was starting to wake up. I pulled into the garage and she sat up and blinked sleepily.

"What happened?"

I grinned, "You fell asleep Babe."

"How did everything go?"

"Everything went fine Babe. He was scared shitless when we got done. He ran out of the house screaming."

She gave a sleepy smile, "Maybe he'll find a new state to live in."

"Wouldn't surprise me." I got out and went around to help Babe out and then we made our way to the elevator. I used my key fob to get the elevator to take us to 7. Once inside the apartment I walked with Babe into the bedroom and we readied ourselves for bed. Babe put one of my t-shirt on and climbed into bed. I stripped and climbed in beside her, regretting my limited mobility.

Stephanie's POV:

I couldn't believe it when I woke to find I was sitting in the Turbo with Ranger and we were parked in the Rangeman garage. I asked what had happened and he told me Dickie had been scared and ran from the house. The last thing I remember was sitting in the big rocker and feeling an enormous sense of calm. I had the weirdest sense of being protected while I was sitting there in that rocking chair.

I walked with Ranger to the elevator and he used his key fob to get us to the 7th floor. We went through to the bedroom and I slipped into one of his t-shirts and slipped into bed. Ranger stripped and slipped into bed without bothering to slip into boxers or pajamas. I snuggled up to his uninjured side and was asleep shortly.

When I woke up the next morning Ranger was no longer in the bed. He left a note telling me he was headed to the gym. I frowned thinking surely he wasn't ready to start working out so soon after being hurt so badly. I brushed my teeth and dressed quickly in work out gear. I went down to the gym and sure enough, Ranger was down there with Bobby and he was working with weights. I made my way over to them and Ranger stilled when I stopped before him.

I motioned to the weights, "Aren't you pushing it a little?"

"Babe."

I put my hands on my hips and gave him my best Burg glare. "Well aren't you?"

Bobby laughed, "It's okay Stephanie. I'm watching it so he doesn't overdo. We have a workout schedule all set up to help him reclaim his mobility. I won't let him overdo."

I turned and stared Bobby in the eyes, "Is that a promise?"

"You got it."

I nodded and headed towards the indoor track so I could run. _Ick! _ I forced myself to do a three mile run before I stopped and headed back over to where Ranger and Bobby were still working. I stood there with my hands on my hips staring at them and finally Bobby looked up and winced. He shook his head and laughed, "Alright Steph. I get the message. He's all yours."

I smiled. Ranger just looked at me. I held my hand out to him and after a second he took it. The next second he was standing before me. We headed back up to 7. I went through into the shower and was standing under the cascading water when Ranger stepped in behind me. I was surprised when his uninjured arm snaked around me and pulled me back into his body. He kissed the juncture between my neck and shoulder. I moaned and turned in his arms. I reached up and put my arms around his neck. His lips claimed mine and I felt heat at my center. I whispered, "Are you sure you're up for this? I mean is it okay?"

"I don't care if it's okay or not Babe. It's happening."

He deepened the kiss and pulled me closer. He lifted me up with his good arm wrapped around my waist and settled me over his cock. I wrapped my legs around his waist and lowered myself till he was fully inside me. Being as careful as I could not to hurt him I moved myself up and down over him. His mouth left mine and trailed down to my breasts. He alternated his attention between them as he plunged in and out of me. I moaned in pleasure as I neared the edge. I loved this man more than ever. Our movements quickened the closer we got til finally we climaxed together and I felt his seed spill inside me.

We washed each other before drying off and getting dressed. Ranger dressed in his usual black cargos, black t-shirt, black work boots, and black utility belt fully equipped. I dressed in blue jeans, a tan t-shirt, and a pair of doc martins. I brushed my hair out and pulled it into a ponytail. I added make up and was ready to go. Ranger lifted an eyebrow as he stood in the doorway refusing to move out of the way. I looked at him for several seconds and then smiled before turning around and going back to get my gun. When I grabbed my purse and put the gun inside, I rejoined Ranger at the door. He nodded and we headed down to the 5th floor to his office after making a quick stop for me to retrieve my laptop. I carried it down to Ranger's office and when we went inside I went to sit on the sofa and he joined me.

I opened my laptop and checked my searches. Ranger leaned in and we both saw it at the same time. I turned to him and noticed he was clenching his fists in anger. I laid my hand on his arm and he turned to me. Our gazes met and he shook his head, "We need to talk about your future employment Babe. I sure could use you working here."

"We'll have to talk after we deal with this."

He nodded. "Proud of you Babe."

I smiled. "How are we going to deal with this?"

"Head on. I suggest you and I pay a visit to Vito and Terry and let them know what we have."

My eyes widened, "You sure you want to do that?"

He smiled, "Well, there's just a few stops we need to make first."

"Okay, so when do we leave?"

He stood and reached down for my hand, "No time like the present."

I took his hand and let him pull me up. We headed down to the garage and he made sure I was seated in the passenger seat of the Turbo before getting behind the wheel. We headed to the bonds office first. Once there we headed inside and I talked to Connie and Lula while Ranger went in to transact business with Vinnie. It didn't take long before he came back out and we were on our way. Our next stop was a visit to Harry The Hammer. I was a little nervous paying a visit to Lucille's father. I'd seen him a couple of times but hadn't been all that close during those two times. This time I was going to be within touching distance.

We were shown into the den when we entered Harry's house. Harry rose and held out his hand, a huge smile on his face. "Ranger. It's a pleasure to finally get to meet the man I've heard so much about." Then he turned to me and his eyes widened in surprise, "Stephanie Plum. It's an honor to make your aquantice my dear. You are a true legend. I can't credit the number of cars you've sent to the great beyond."

Ranger smiled, "Trust me sir, it's true. Several of those cars were ones I'd loaned her."

Harry started laughing. "I must admit to being puzzled why you asked for this meeting Ranger."

"I'm sure you read the article in the paper detailing what's been going on. You might also be aware of Morelli's death. We've also just dealt with Dickie Orr stalking Stephanie."

Harry nodded, "Yes. I am aware of all that."

"We've gotten word that Vito Grizzoli is asking around to find out what it will cost to take Stephanie and myself out."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "He always was an ass when it came to that niece of his. He can't see she's like a disease he should cut out and get rid of."

Ranger nodded but remained silent. Finally, Harry asked, "How can I help you?"

"Well sir, what we'd like is..."

Ranger went on to detail the reason behind our visit. When we left, Harry had assured us he was more than willing to help us out. We left Harry's house and made our way into a familiar neighborhood. I looked over at Ranger but made no comment. When Ranger parked, he came around and helped me out. We made our way up to the door and Ranger knocked. After a couple seconds the door was answered. Hannibal Ramos opened the door and stepped back so we could enter.

"What can I do for you Ranger?"

Ranger went on to explain our reason for being there. When we left there, we had Hannibal's assurances that he would help us any way possible. I figured we'd head back to Rangeman, but Ranger had another surprise in store. Our next stop was a big surprise. I was stunned when we pulled up in front of my parents house. Ranger came around and helped me out and we made our way to the front door where my mom and grandma Mazur stood waiting. Ranger didn't even grimace as grandma gave him the once over and worked her dentures before giving him a leer and waggling her eyebrows at him. He did however make sure I was between him and my grandma when we got closer.

By the look on my mom's face, she was as surprised to see Ranger as I was to be here. They stepped back and we entered the house. Always the polite hostess my mom asked, "Can I get you both something to drink? Lunch will be ready in another 45 minutes."

"Actually Mrs. Plum, we only stopped by for a few minutes. Is Mr. Plum home?"

"Why yes." She led the way into the front room where my dad was sitting in front of the TV watching a ballgame. "Frank, Stephanie's young man is here to see you."

Uh oh. There was a definite sparkle in my mom's eyes like she suspected the reason for our unannounced arrival was Ranger was planning to ask daddy for my hand in marriage.

Daddy looked up, his gaze moving from Ranger to me and back to Ranger again. "Everything okay pumpkin?"

I shrugged. "As okay as normal."

Dad's eyebrow rose and he looked to Ranger, his eyes narrowing. "What can I do for you Mr. Manoso?"

"Please, call me Ranger. Sorry to disturb your ballgame, but something has been brought to our attention and I wanted to let you all know personally."

Mom and grandma took seats on the sofa and Ranger sat in an overlarge recliner where he had a good view of everyone. He pulled me down onto his lap. Dad turned off the TV and nodded, "Tell us what you came here to tell us then."

"Vito Grizzoli has been asking around to see what it will cost to take out Stephanie and myself. We have a plan that we'd like to put in motion, but we need your help to pull it off."

There was no hesitation, they all answered in unison, "I'm in."

I smiled as I looked at each of them in turn. My mom and grandma looked like kids in a toy store who'd just been told they could have all the toys they wanted. My dad looked more grim, like he'd personally like to wring Vito's neck. What he said next added substance to that theory. "I'll do what I have to so I can protect my little girl."

Ranger nodded. "We've already talked to Harry The Hammer and Hannibal Ramos. Now with your help we can set our plan in motion."

Grandma Mazur was worked her dentures, "Just what is our plan young man?"

Ranger proceeded to let them all know what we had planned. When he finished, all three of them were smiling widely. In the end, we did stay to lunch. My mom made noises about a wedding and asked us what she could do to help us with ours.

Ranger took my hand and squeezed when he saw the look of panic on my face. "Actually Mrs. Plum, Steph and I aren't planning on getting married. We do however plan to live together."

My mom looked shocked, but sat for several seconds not saying a word. My dad's eyes narrowed and he drilled Ranger with his gaze. Grandma Mazur was grinning ear to ear with a leer in her eyes. I squeezed Ranger's hand for courage.

Grandma broke the silence, "You go baby girl."

My mom frowned and turned to her, "Stop that mother." She turned to me, "I don't understand..."

I closed my eyes for several seconds before opening them and meeting my mom's gaze. "I tried being married and it didn't go so good. I can admit now I never loved Dickie, I was in love with the idea of being in love. Still, I was betrayed by someone who should have loved me above all others. It's not easy getting past that betrayal. Although I know that would never happen with Ranger, right now I'm not ready for another marriage. I do love Ranger though and want a committed relationship with him. I hope you all can accept that."

My mom's eyes softened, "Of course honey. I just want you to be as happy as I am."

I nodded, "I know you do mom. But for me, that doesn't mean being married."

"Then I'll say no more on the subject. Just promise if you ever are ready to take that step that you'll let me help with the planning."

I smiled, "I can promise that."

My dad made a sound in the back of his throat, "I have your word you'll always look out for my little girl? That you'll always have her best interest at heart?"

"That's an easy promise to make. Not only is it standard operating procedure at Rangeman that Stephanie is to be protected at all costs, I would lay down my life for her."

Dad nodded, "You've already proved that Ranger. By the way, call me Frank. If you two ever decide to have children, I'd love a little girl just like my pumpkin."

Ranger nodded, "I'll keep that in mind Frank, but to be honest children are on a par with marriage at this point."

Dad nodded, "Understood."

We left after lunch and Ranger drove us back to Rangeman. When we got there Ranger called the guys to the conference room and laid out our plan.

_Three weeks later:_

Vinnie's POV:

Holy shit! I couldn't believe it when Ranger came in and explained what he wanted me to do. I was so excited I got the finest boner I'd ever had. Today was the day. I made sure I had everything and made my way out to the Caddy. Oh was I looking forward to this. I drove to Stark Street and found my mark. A major flunky in Vito's organization. Ranger told me to tell Lucille about our plan and why we were doing this. As soon as she found out about what Vito was planning for Steph she readily agreed. Seemed she looked on Steph as the daughter she never had even though Stephanie was by no means young enough to be our child. I waved the dough around making sure my guy saw it. Bingo!

He strolled over to the car and leaned down. "What can I do for you?"

"I want the Barnyard Stallion Treatment."

He grinned, "You got it. I think that wad in your hand would be just enough."

I nodded, "Okay. Get in."

He got in and I drove us to the motel on route 1. I got us a room and we headed inside. Now I got to have a little fun and help Ranger out at the same time. I smiled with glee. He got started on me as soon as the door was shut and things were going nicely. Then like Hansel and Gretel dropping bread crumbs, I let drop the information Ranger asked me to. Bulls eye! He had the look like he'd just hit the mother load. The best thing about this was I could keep concentrating on what I was doing. I was hoping he'd be done by the time Harry showed up, but even if he wasn't, I had enjoyed myself so far. I smiled. As luck would have it I was going to get my wish. The door burst open as he finished. Harry stood there with a sawed off shotgun and three goons all armed and loaded.

Harry let one rip and the sound of another round being loaded into the chamber was loudly evident. "I'll teach you to cheat on my little girl you slimy Bastard!"

If I didn't know this was part of the plan I'd be shaking in my boots. Hell! I knew it was part of the plan and I was_ still _shaking in my boots. I fell to my knees and cried, "It's not my fault! He lured me here under false pretenses. He told me he was one of your guys and he needed me to come with him so I could give him information."

"What kind of information?"

"He kept asking about Ranger and Stephanie."

My mark was swearing the whole time that I was lying. "He waved money at me and told me what he wanted. He's the one who brought up Manoso and the girl."

Harry motioned to his men and they took the mark 'into custody'. They took him out to the car and Harry stayed behind. He gave me a look that said he knew I'd enjoyed what had just happened in this room before he came in. "You told my Lucille what was going to happen here?"

"I told her. But I also told her you'd come in and 'save' me before he could actually do anything."

He nodded. "Okay. I won't tell her any different. But you need to make sure you don't give her any _conditions_ that would cause her to believe otherwise."

"I'll make sure of it."

"Then we need to never speak of this again."

I nodded. Harry left and I dressed and headed to the nearest clinic. I knew what would happen if I gave Lucille a little reminder from this night so I was making sure there would be no chance of that.

Harry The Hammer's POV:

We took the creep to the warehouse and questioned him real good. We had all the answers Ranger could hope for. Not only did he talk, he sung like a bird. When he was done, I made sure he'd never be able to talk again. We took the boat out for a little cruise and once we'd gotten a safe distance from shore, I watched as he sank. No worries about this one coming in with the tide. He was dully weighted down with 500 pounds weighted to him. I smiled, Ranger had said we could take care of him anyway we saw fit. What can I say. They don't call me Harry The Hammer for nothing.

Grandma Mazur's POV:

Boy this was a pip. Here I was sitting in a bar waiting for Alexander Ramos to come in for his usual drink and smoke. Ranger had told me Hannibal was going to "arrange" it so his father could get away from his bodyguards and end up here. Our mark was going to be coming through the doors just a few minutes after Alexander walked in. I was to be heard saying Stephanie Plum was my granddaughter. The mark would make a move on me and the Ramos goons would come in and I'd tell them the guy had tried to kill Alexander. That would allow the goons to spirit both Alexander and the mark away and take them to Hannibal. I looked to the door and 'showtime!'. An hour later I smile as I watch them leave. I wait till the coast is clear and then I make my way out to the car where Helen and Frank are waiting for me. We exchange high fives and head back to Trenton.

Hannibal's POV:

I step forward and watch the mark's eyes grow wide with fear. Smart man. You have every need to fear me. He's so scared he starts talking instantly. I smile. Ranger will be pleased to learn this. When I've learned everything he can tell me, I take Ranger at his word when he said I can handle this any way I like. I step close to my mark.

"I don't like what your boss had planned for Ms. Plum. I've come to respect her in our recent dealings, and it upsets me to know you are a party to the plan. You will learn first hand what happens when people upset me."

The screams make me smile. Too soon there is the smell of urine and I turn away and make a chopping motion at my throat. My men know what to do with this pond scum.

Unknown POV:

My flight gets into Newark and I gather my bags and disembark. I put my Oakley sunglasses on before getting off the plane. I look neither left nor right as I make my way into the terminal and gather my luggage. I pay no attention to the people staring at me. I have no illusions as to my appeal. I know what they see. I am 6'3" in height and have a lean, yet muscular build. My skin is a rich copper and my hair is blue black in color and reaches the middle of my back. It is flowing free at the moment but soon it will be in it's usual single braid down my back. I have high cheekbones, a mouth referred to as sensual, straight nose the right size for my face, and my eyes are an unusual hazel green. They are unusual because of my Native American ancestry. I am half Sioux, quarter Apache, and the other quarter is a mix of white man. I know my appearance is considered handsome, but my looks are unimportant to me. I have no use for the female of the species. I haven't had for some time. Don't get me wrong, I am still very much a man. When my urges get to strong I usually just find the nearest willing female and use her to satisfy myself before discarding her. No emotions needed. I make sure the women I choose are emotionless as well.

I am here because of a call I received three weeks ago. My job is to take out Stephanie Plum and Ricardo Carlos Manoso. I never fail at my job. Once I have gathered my bags I continue on to the car I've hired. It's a sporty, black Porsche 911 GT2 RS Coupe. I put my bags in the car and take off. I'm headed for Trenton and a destiny date with Manoso and his lady love. I smile, but it's not a pleasant smile. Just like a woman to lead a man to his death.

Ranger's POV:

Everything was coming together nicely. Vinnie, Harry, Babe's grandma and Hannibal had all done their parts. Now it was time for Babe and I to head to Vito's. I had planned for all contingencies. I looked up at the knock on my door and said, "Enter."

The door opened and Babe stood there fully dressed. I smiled and told her, "Proud of you Babe."

She grinned, "I remembered you said you wanted me to be fully dressed. Besides, I can't watch your back otherwise."

I stood and made my way over to her. I pulled her into my arms and covered her mouth with my own. When the kiss ended, we made our way down to the garage. I made sure she was seated in the passenger seat before heading around and getting behind the wheel. I drove us to Vito's house where I knew we'd find him and Terry. We got out and made our way to the door.

Babe rang the bell and a few seconds later it was answered by a maid. She stepped back so we could enter. "Mr. Grizzoli is expecting you. Follow me please."

We followed her to the den where Vito was sitting behind a desk. Terry was there with him and the look on her face when we entered told me she was looking forward to watching us die. Vito's eyes narrowed, "Manoso. Ms. Plum. I hope you know there are no hard feelings. This is about what Terry needs."

I returned his look. "Same goes. Too bad your niece was a poor judge of character. Morelli ratted you out."

Vito looked grim and turned to Terry. Her eyes grew hard and she demanded, "I don't care what he did. I loved him and I will have vengeance. You promised."

Vito shrugged. "You heard her. Sorry."

Babe stepped forward. "He was planning to marry me. All he wanted you for was a piece on the side."

Terry threw herself at Babe but I stepped in her way. She stopped before she reached me but her eyes grew even harsher, "You're lying!"

Babe shook her head no. She pressed a button and suddenly Morelli's voice was saying the same thing Babe had just told her. Terry looked like she'd gone mad. She screamed, "_NO!_"

Vito shook his head. "Bastard! He wasn't good enough for you."

"You promised!"

"Don't get your panties in a knot girl. I'll go through on what I promised."

I shook my head, "That would be your last fatal mistake Grizzoli. Be very sure you want to make it before you commit yourself."

He shrugged. "I'm an old man. She's my favorite."

I nodded. "Your choice is dually noted."

I put my hand on Babe's waist and we turned to leave. Before we went out the door I turned and tossed the photos and information I'd dug up relating what Morelli had planned for Vito and Terry. I was giving the old man a last chance to change his mind even though I didn't think his niece would let him. With that we left.

Stephanie's POV:

We made it back to Rangeman in record time. Ranger had a meeting with someone from out of town. I wasn't sure who the meeting was with, I only knew the person was arriving from out of town and wanted to meet with both of us. We rode the elevator up to the 5th floor and headed for Ranger's office. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as the time for the meeting grew close. I wasn't sure what was causing the feeling, but I didn't like it. Finally, I turned to Ranger and said, "I have a bad feeling about this meeting."

Our eyes met and held for several minutes before Ranger smiled and said, "Don't worry Babe. Everything will work out."

Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door and Ranger said, "Enter."

The door opened and Tank stood there with a man who would give any of the Rangeman guys a run for their money and it would be close as to who would come out the winner. It felt like someone had touched me with a live wire. I stood and placed myself between Ranger and the man beside Tank. He looked through me to Ranger.

"Ranger. It's been awhile."

Ranger gave a miniscule nod and said, "Raven."

The man called Raven stepped forward towards the sofa. I stood still, not moving out of his way. I wasn't letting him get closer to Ranger till I knew whether he was a threat or not. Raven came to a stop directly in front of me but still didn't acknowledge my presence. He lifted one eyebrow at Ranger but said nothing. Ranger spoke softly, "Babe."

I crossed my arms across my chest and remained where I was. "I'm not moving till I know why he's here."

At that, the man called Raven turned his gaze on me and it felt like I'd been burned. The animosity rolling off him made me want to run and hide behind Ranger but I forced myself to remain where I was. I could feel his eyes narrowing at me behind his Oakley sunglasses. I gave him my best Burg glare and stayed put.

Raven pulled a gun and aimed it at me. I took a deep breath and continued to stand firm. I said, "You'll probably succeed in killing me, but at least I know Ranger will survive because he'll kill you."

Raven's eyebrow arched, "Are you for real?"

"If you mean would I really let you kill me to protect Ranger then the answer is yes."

We stood there staring at each other for countless minutes before Raven lowered his gun and put it back in it's holster. He shook his head and said, "I'd never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes." He turned to Ranger, "If you tell anyone I said this I'll deny it. You've found yourself a lady worth dieing for."

Ranger smiled, "I told you that a long time ago."

Raven gave a slight nod of the head and then he met my gaze again. "You have nothing to fear from me. Ranger called me and told me what's been going on. I agreed to let Vito "find" me and "recruit" me to kill the two of you. Needless to say I never had any intention of going through with it. I work at Rangeman Boston. Daniel Raven is the name. You are Stephanie Plum, Ranger's lady love."

"You have me at a disadvantage. Ranger's never mentioned you."

Raven smiled and I had to admit it made my heart beat faster. Man this guy was hot. As if he could read my thoughts his eyes grew cold. He looked at me as if I was worse than a bug under his shoe. I rolled my eyes and said, "Don't get your shorts in a knot Romeo. I love Ranger and am totally committed to our relationship, but that doesn't mean I'm dead. You're a really hot guy and although I can appreciate that, it doesn't mean I have any intention on acting on it. Geez!" I turn to Ranger, "Can you believe this guy? As if a woman can't control herself around his good looks. I mean really. A lot of the Rangeman guys are hot and yes, I am female and notice it but really. Give me a break."

As I reached the end of my impromptu speech, I notice that Ranger is laughing silently and Raven is looking at me with a bemused expression on his face. Finally, Raven says, "As much as I'd love to stand here and continue this, I need to get to Vito's and explain the error of his ways. See you around." Raven stood staring at me for several seconds before he turned and left.

I turned to Ranger, "Is this the surprise you referred to?"

Ranger smiled. "Vito won't know what hit him."

Raven's POV:

I headed to the meeting site. I arrived before the allotted time and looked around. When they arrived I knew Ranger was right when he'd said they'd both have to be dealt with. He and Stephanie wouldn't be safe as long as either of them were breathing. The old man looked to the girl as if she could do no wrong, and she wouldn't let this go. I shrugged. This is why Ranger called me for the job. He knew I could do this without any feelings of remorse. Hell, I'd done worse than this and never felt remorse. In the service I was always the go to person when Intel was needed from a woman. I hated them, so it never bothered me to do what was necessary to get information. Never.

The two of them moved closer and I saw the look the blond was giving me. She professed to love the dead man yet there she was stripping me naked with her look. Distaste filled me to have to get close to her. The one good point in having to be close to her was she would soon be dead and I would never be bothered by her again.

The old man stopped a few steps away and asked, "Were you successful?"

I smile and pull my gun out. His eyes widen and he claws for his own gun. Too late. As he crumples to the ground the girl turns terrified eyes towards me. When I point the gun at her she is even more terrified. She pleads for her life. I just continue to smile and pull the trigger. I look down at them lying at odd angles, dead. Both with a bullet to the head. I make my way towards the exit and as I encounter each of his men, I silence each and every one of them. When it's over I get back into the car and drive back towards Haywood and the Rangeman building there. Ranger has asked me to relocate here for the foreseeable future and I have agreed. I smile in anticipation. I can't wait to get to know Stephanie Plum. It seems there is one woman on the face of the Earth worthy of notice.

_Note: I have no clue if Ranger would be healed enough in the short time between when he was shot and the time of this portion of the story to be physically capable of holding Stephanie in the shower scene. Being Ranger though, who knows. Any other mistakes are mine alone and I hope they don't detract from the story. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**The two of them moved closer and I saw the look the blond was giving me. She professed to love the dead man yet there she was stripping me naked with her look. Distaste filled me to have to get close to her. The one good point in having to be close to her was she would soon be dead and I would never be bothered by her again.**_

_**The old man stopped a few**_ steps_** away and asked, "Were you successful?"**_

_**I smile and pull my gun out. His eyes widen and he claws for his own gun. Too late. As he crumples to the ground the girl turns terrified eyes towards me. When I point the gun at her she is even more terrified. She pleads for her life. I just continue to smile and pull the trigger. I look down at them lying at odd angles, dead. Both with a bullet to the head. I make my way towards the exit and as I encounter each of his men, I silence each and every one of them. When it's over I get back into the car and drive back towards Haywood and the Rangeman building there. Ranger has asked me to relocate here for the foreseeable future and I have agreed. I smile in anticipation. I can't wait to get to know Stephanie Plum. It seems there is one woman on the face of the Earth worthy of notice.**_

Chapter 11: The History Of A House

Raven's POV:

I reached Rangeman and headed up to Ranger's office. I knocked on the door and when the door opened, she was standing there between Ranger and myself. I could see by looking in her eyes that she didn't quite trust me yet. Smart girl. My eyes went over her small form before I turned to Ranger. "It's done."

He nodded. After all, what more was there to say. Ranger tossed me the keys to an apartment on the fourth floor where I would be living for the foreseeable future. I caught the keys and turned to make my way to the 5th floor. I decided to use the stairs and in no time I was in front of the apartment. I used the key fob to open my door and was satisfied with the bare bones of the apartment. I headed for the bedroom and crashed. After being on the go for 32 straight hours the exhaustion caught up with me.

Stephanie's POV:

I pulled the Cayenne to a stop a few yards from the front door. Something about this house called to me. I couldn't explain it, but that night we came here to lure Dickie to follow me here and scare him, I felt like someone or something was watching out for me. Not just Ranger and the guys, I knew they'd always have my back. This felt different somehow. I'd gotten as much as I could from the real estate office that had the house listed, but it wasn't much. I'd searched on line to see if I could get any other information but didn't find much. For some reason this was very important to me. I had to know about the house. As a matter of fact I was thinking of asking Ranger to help me buy this house. It's like I knew I had to own it for some reason.

I put the key in the front door and stepped inside. I took a couple steps forward and suddenly the door slammed shut behind me. I turned quickly but saw nothing out of the ordinary. I shivered. I walked through the house and was amazed at the change. It was as if we had never been here. There was no trace of what Hal had done to the house. I made my way up to the attic. I was drawn by some invisible string. Once in the attic I looked around. The room looked the same as it always had. The same as it was that night. Suddenly there was a coolness surrounding me. I was being lured towards the rocker. I sat for a moment as suddenly I was unable to keep my eyes opened.

Unknown POV:

I saw her enter the house and felt their happiness at her return. Their world was lighter now for awhile. He loved her. He was drawing her up to his realm so he could be close to her for awhile. He wouldn't harm her, nor would he allow others to harm her. She reminded him of someone. Someone he'd loved beyond life. I watched her enter the attic and sit in the rocker where he'd led her. Soon she was asleep. It was the only way he could truly be near her. He was showing her what she craved. The story of his past. It was clear now, that was the reason she'd come here. Because she needed to know the story behind the house.

I watched with her, it started as a storybook tail:

_The year was 1812 when a handsome young man married a beautiful young woman. The young man stood 6'2" in height with a lean yet muscular build. He had long black hair plaited into a single braid down his back and he wore buckskins. The young woman was 5'6 or 7" tall with a slender form. She had curly brown hair that fell halfway down her back. She had beautiful blue eyes in a beautiful face. The young couple was very much in love. The young man had spent months building the house, and when it was completed, he asked the young woman to marry him. _

_The young couple was surrounded by family and friends on the day of their marriage. They wrote their own vows and exchanged them before those gathered. The couple partied into the night and when they finally made their way to their new home, the young man carried the young woman across the threshold._

_They were so happy for the few years allotted to them before tragedy struck. It had all started out so innocently. The young woman greeted the young man when he returned home from his work with his horses. She had such a radiant smile on her face as she told him of their child. They were ecstatic as the young woman grew round with the much loved child. When the young woman went into labor, there was no indication of the tragedy that would follow. The labor took over two days before the doctor told the young man the child would have to be taken or neither of them would survive. The young man was beside himself with grief. How was he to choose. He loved his wife more than his own life, but he also loved the child that was so much a part of her. He knew how much she wanted this child. Finally he left it in God's hands and told the doctor to do what he had to._

_As the first cries of the child were heard the young man sat holding his dying wife in his arms. Tears poured down his face. The young woman smiled lovingly at her husband and said, "Take care of our little one. Let her be a comfort to you when I am gone. I will always love you. You are my everything." With those final words she passed into the other world._

_The young man sat rocking his young wife, crying for the love he'd lost too soon._

Such a sad story. The woman in the rocker frowned as she tried to surface, but he wasn't ready to let her go yet. He showed her the rest of the story as well. How he raised his daughter and watched her marry the man she loved more than life. He showed her how his lineage progressed into the present. When I saw the face of the current descendent I sat up in bed. I knew that face. That was the same face I'd been dreaming about for nearly a year now.

I slipped out of bed and made my way into the bathroom where I showered, shaved, shampooed and then dried and dressed. I pulled on a pair of blue jeans, a pale purple t-shirt, and sneakers. I brushed out my hair and then pulled it back in a ponytail. I threw some things into a couple of bags, grabbed my keys and headed out to my car. As much as I didn't want to do this, I knew there was a reason I'd seen what I did. I had to go. It was as if I was being drawn by an invisible string. I programmed my GPS and headed east towards Trenton, New Jersey.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**Such a sad story. The woman in the rocker frowned as she tried to surface, but he wasn't ready to let her go yet. He showed her the rest of the story as well. How he raised his daughter and watched her marry the man she loved more than life. He showed her how his lineage progressed into the present. When I saw the face of the current descendent I sat up in bed. I knew that face. That was the same face I'd been dreaming about for nearly a year now**_.

_**I slipped out of bed and made my way into the bathroom where I showered, shaved, shampooed and the dried and dressed. I pulled on a pair of blue jeans, a pale purple t-shirt, and sneakers. I brushed out my hair and then pulled it back in a ponytail. I threw some things into a couple of bags, grabbed my keys and headed out to my car. As much as I didn't want to do this, I knew there was a reason I'd seen what I did. I had to go. It was as if I was being drawn by an invisible string. I programmed my GPS and headed east towards Trenton, New Jersey.**_

Chapter 12: A Redecorating Job

Ranger's POV:

I watched Babe as we signed the deed for the house. She was smiling ear to ear. We'd talked a great deal about the house and once I knew it wasn't about us moving in there so much as she wanted to restore the house to it's former glory, I agreed to buy the place. I had a feeling it was the spirit that called to her. She turned to me and laughed, "So what do you say to hiring the guys for a redecorating job?"

I raised an eyebrow and she laughed. We left the real estate office and drove by the house. I had to admit, it called to something in me as well. When Babe told me the "dream" she'd had at the house, I made sure the guys did some thorough digging into the background on the house. What we'd found out surprised us. Apparently Raven's ancestors owned the house originally. When I'd told him what we'd found and asked him about it he said he had no idea.

I'd always known Raven's hatred of the female species dated back to his mother. I had no idea just how that came about though. Apparently, Raven's high society mother had married his Indian father to shock her family and get her way about a few things. When her family caved to her demands just to get her to divorce the man she'd married, it was too late for them to save her reputation totally, as she was already pregnant with Raven. She complied with her parents request that she never tell the child about it's father though. Raven had to wait till after he'd joined the Air Force to search out information on his father. Unfortunately the man was already dead so he had learned nothing of importance about his background.

Babe and I headed to the Pine Barrens to look over the house. I'd arranged with a team to meet us there, and Raven would be one of the guys joining us. Although Babe was kidding with asking the guys to "redecorate" they were joining us all the same. When they learned Babe wanted to buy this house they were as concerned as I was.

When I pulled up in front of the house Babe started laughing. I looked over to see what was so funny and had to smile myself. Tank, Bobby, Lester, Hal, Hector, Cal, Woody, Binkie, Ram, Vince, Zip, Zero, and Raven were sitting on the front porch steps waiting for us. I parked and went around the car to help Babe out. We walked up to the guys and Babe was smiling.

"I was just kidding about asking you guys to redecorate."

They got the meaning right off and started chuckling. That is all except Raven. He just stared at Babe. She rolled her eyes and turned to the house. We all followed close on her heels.

Stephanie's POV:

I couldn't believe all these guys showed up to go through the house with us. I'd contacted a person to help with the redecorating of the house. It was said that this person had a knack for recreating the initial decor of a house. That's what I wanted here. I wanted to fix up this house so it would look as it did 200 years ago. I was looking forward to meeting the decorator. She was meeting us here in about 30 minutes. I just hoped having all the guys here didn't scare her to death and she refuse to take on the job.

We all walked through the house and I kept glancing at Raven. I was wondering how the house was affecting him. After all, his ancestor was the one who built the house. We'd went through the house and surrounding buildings when I noticed a vintage Mustang, convertible pulling up in front of the house. I watched as a small form slipped from the car and walked towards me. I was surprised because she barely looked old enough to drive. As a matter of fact if I hadn't seen her drive up I would have put her age as much younger.

She was maybe 5' in height and slender. She was wearing jeans, turquoise t-shirt, sneakers, and strangely enough she wore black leather gloves. Her hair was a light brown-blonde and pulled back into a ponytail. She had a figure that could stop traffic, and her face...stunning and beautiful didn't do it justice. She had beautiful hazel green eyes, small perfect nose, and a sensual mouth. She barely wore any makeup but she obviously didn't need much anyway. Her skin was lightly tanned and flawless. Watching her as she made her way over to us I had the feeling like she was scared to death. I smiled, trying to reassure her she was safe here.

I gave her a finger wave when she stopped a couple feet in front of me. "Hi. I'm Stephanie and you must be Jenny."

I saw her tense and her gaze met mine. "No. Jenny is my older sister. She had a slight accident and isn't able to make it right now, but she sent me to take her place and get started."

She had the most amazing voice I'd ever heard. I could listen to her for hours. I smiled, trying to put her at ease. I saw her gaze dart to the guys and she seemed to take them in stride until her eyes landed on Raven. I saw the fear she quickly masked and wondered briefly why she seemed so afraid of him.

I put a hand on Ranger's arm, "This is Ranger," then indicating each man in turn, "Tank, Bobby, Lester, Hal, Woody, Binkie, Ram, Vince, Zip, Zero, Hector, Cal and Raven."

Lester pushed the others away and stepped forward smiling and held his hand out. "These other Bozo's aren't important. I'm the only one here you need to concentrate on Gorgeous."

I could see the caution as she took Lester's hand and shook it. She stiffened and quickly released his hand before rubbing her hand on her jeans. I noticed the reaction of the rest of the guys. They took her reaction as a negative. They didn't look as friendly anymore. I didn't want this to turn ugly so I motioned her inside and said, "How about if we take a look around the house."

She nodded. She took a step forward but Raven was standing directly in front of the steps leading to the house. There was no way around him. She could still go up the steps but she would need to get very close to him in order to do so. She looked around but this was the only way to the front door. The rest of the guys were smiling and waiting to see what she did. I couldn't believe it. These guys were acting like a bunch of bullies towards a little girl because she offended them when she wiped away Lester's handshake. Couldn't they see she was scared to death for some reason. Geez.

I walked over to her and stepped up to Raven and gave him my best glare. I turned and smiled to her and said, "The thing you got to remember about these guys is they're all really marsh mellows inside. Come on in and I'll show you around. By the way, what _is_ your name?"

"Everyone calls me Kallie."

"That's a pretty name."

She shrugged but said no more. I led the way into the house hoping the guys would stay outside. No such luck. I sighed. I really wanted this house restored and I didn't need the guys intimidating the decorator or her assistant, which I assumed Kallie was. The minute we entered the house I noticed Kallie flinched. Another sigh from me. This was going to be a long day.

I led Kallie through the house and let her get a feel for the place. The more we walked around from room to room, the paler she seemed to get. She didn't seem to relax until we headed back outside.

Kallie's POV:

As I neared the house, I could no longer keep a lid on the fear I felt. This was going to be the hardest job I'd ever done. I knew that. Unfortunately, I felt compelled to come her and accept this job. I knew I'd have no rest until the job was finished. I parked my vintage Mustang convertible and climbed out of the car. The man I'd been seeing in my dreams for the past year stood with the rest of the group. Damn! I didn't know I was going to have to deal with so many people. Usually I was lucky to only have to deal with one or two people.

The only other female gave me a finger wave and a smile as if she was trying to put me at ease. She told me her name was Stephanie and said I must be Jenny. I couldn't help tensing, I hated lying to people. This was the standard lie at the beginning of every job. I told her Jenny was my older sister and had an accident to prevent her coming at the present time, but that she'd sent me to get started. I let my gaze wander to those surrounding her. They were a handsome group with lots of muscle. These guys could intimidate a whole unit of insurgents single-handedly. Still, they seemed like a nice enough group. When my gaze fell on him the fear surfaced. I couldn't stop it, but I did quickly mask it.

I watched Stephanie place her hand on the arm of the gorgeous male beside her and she introduced him as Ranger. Then she indicated each man in turn as she told me their names. I could see how Tank got his name, he resembled one. I placed Bobby as a healer, he had that aura about him. Lester was the funny man of the group and I'd bet he was a player as well. Hal was big as well and resembled a dinosaur. That didn't mean to say he was dumb or slow by any means. I had a feeling that Hal was just as deadly as the rest of the group. Woody gave the impression of genteel southern gentleman mixed with roundhouse brawler. Binkie I would guess could find a needle in a haystack. Ram I placed as a sharpshooter, Vince as more of a business type cop, Zip and Zero seemed to be two halves of a whole. The two of them along with Hector seemed to be the gadget guys. Hector had a more dangerous aura about him though...probably from time on the streets. His war zone was the streets where he lived rather than the jungles of third world countries. Cal was a big man as well with a flaming tattoo of a skull on his forehead. I'd hate to meet him in some dark alley. Then there was Raven. I'd never seen a more handsome man. There was an animal magnetism that would draw women to him in droves. I felt the fear when I met his gaze but kept it firmly hidden. To me, he felt like the most deadly of all them.

Lester pushed the others away and stepped forward smiling and held his hand out. "These other Bozo's aren't important. I'm the only one here you need to concentrate on Gorgeous."

I looked at him cautiously as I shook his hand. I was hoping the leather gloves would offer a buffer but I wasn't sure how effective they would be. The minute his hand touched my gloved hand I saw it all. I stiffened and quickly released his hand, rubbing my gloved hand on my jeans to try and erase the images I'd seen. When my gaze went back to the guys in front of me I realized my action was taken as offensive. They had me pegged as a raciest, snob or both. I was re-leaved when Stephanie motioned me inside and suggested we look around the house.

I nodded and stepped forward only to see Raven had moved so he was mostly blocking the steps to the front door. The only way inside was to brush by him on my way up the stairs. I looked for an alternative route but there was none. I saw the rest of the guys, all except Ranger were smiling and watching to see what I'd do. Stephanie walked over and stepped up to Raven and gave him a glare.

We walked through the house and I tried the best I could to keep everything out. This task was made harder by the presence of all the others. I was a little confused at seeing coffins on the first floor. There were a dozen of them all rigged to open as a person neared them. Several of them had those Tales From The Crypt type skeletons popping out but there were two of them where the person inside actually came up out of the coffin and attacked someone. We went from the first floor down to the basement. Stephanie and Ranger led the way and all the others followed behind us, unfortunately. Now that I could have done without.

The fight was vicious. It was Ranger wiping the floor with the same man who'd been so frightened by what had happened with the coffins. I looked at Ranger for several seconds. His gaze met mine instantly, as if he sensed my watching him. Neither of us said anything, I turned away first and followed as Stephanie led us up to the second floor. This floor looked familiar. This is what I saw when I looked at all those guys out front. They would feel at home in a place like this. They were trained to deal with this type of shit. I could also see the other man making his way through this floor. He had no idea how to deal with this. The smell of urine was so strong by the time we headed for the next floor, that I just wanted to get back outside so I could breath some fresh air.

As we walked through the third floor I noticed smiles on the faces of some of the guys. One of them was in each room and what they did would have given a normal man nightmares for weeks. The man being targeted wasn't normal though. He'd left sanity behind. When we reached the attic I couldn't believe how fresh everything looked. It was as if this room had already been redecorated. I was instantly aware of the presence. I met his gaze and he lifted an eyebrow.

I heard his voice in my head, 'Why are you here?'

'To restore the house to it's original look.'

'What makes you think you can do that?'

'It's what I do best.'

'I won't let you change this room.'

I looked around the room and suddenly it didn't look as fresh anymore. I could see the faded wallpaper and the scarred floor as well as the broken rocker. I felt the animosity coming off the presence and I turned to look directly at him. 'I'll transform this room into what I saw when I first walked in here. For whatever reason I know that's important to you.'

'You'd do that?'

'Yes. But I'll also show her what the room would have looked like in the beginning.'

I felt the animosity leave the room and suddenly I knew I'd been accepted. Stephanie led the way back outside and I didn't relax until I was back outside. It had been a rough half hour going through the house and it was made even harder by the presence of so many people.

Stephanie stopped next to me, "How long do you think it will take you to complete the house?'

"I'm not sure. Usually I can complete a house in three or four months. Considering the size of the house, plus the buildings, it may take closer to seven or eight months."

She nodded. "When can you get started?"

I shrugged, "I was planning on finding an apartment and getting settled first, maybe two weeks."

Stephanie looked at Ranger and he gave her a barely there nod. She smiled and turned back to me, "It just so happens Ranger has an empty apartment in his building on Haywood where Rangeman is located. You could have the use of the apartment while you're redecorating the house and buildings."

I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't know if this was a good thing or not, but I had the feeling if I declined the offer I'd be even further in these guys bad books. I gave Stephanie a nod and said, "Thanks. I appreciate that. I should be able to get started on the house on Monday. That gives me tomorrow and the weekend to get settled into the apartment."

I could see the barely contained excitement on her face. I groaned silently as she told me, "That's great. Since we're all headed off into different directions, one of the guys will ride with you to show you were Rangeman is located and they can get you your keys and all."

I am so tense at this latest news all I can do is nod as I think please let it be someone besides Raven. I head for my car figuring whoever they're sending with me can follow. I get in behind the wheel and fasten the seat belt while I wait. After several minutes I look back towards them to see there is a debate going as to who gets stuck with me. When the "winner" strides towards me I close my eyes for a second and groan inwardly. Damn!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**I could see the barely contained excitement on her face. I groaned silently as she told me, "That's great. Since we're all headed off into different directions, one of the guys will ride with you to show you were Rangeman is located and they can get you your keys and all."**_

_**I am so tense at this latest news all I can do is nod as I think please let it be someone besides Raven. I head for my car figuring whoever they're sending with me can follow. I **_

_**get in behind the wheel and fasten the seat belt while I wait. After several minutes I look back towards them to see there is a debate going as to who gets stuck with me. When the "winner" strides towards me I close my eyes for a second and groan inwardly. Damn!**_

Chapter 13: Secrets Of The Past

Stephanie's POV:

I couldn't believe these guys were arguing about who was going to get stuck going back to Rangeman with Kallie. They were definitely thinking of her as a snob and raciest and none of them wanted to be in a confined space with her. As a matter of fact they were hoping not to have much to do with her. The guys finally decided Raven should go with her because they said she deserved his venom. Raven just raised an eyebrow and glared at them. I put my hands on my hips and gave them all my best Burg glare. "If you guys scare her off I'm going to be royally pissed. This is important to me. I'm asking you to put your personal feelings aside and give her a chance. After all, not everyone can meet you guys in mass and not be scared."

There was silence for several seconds and none of them would meet my gaze. I sighed and was about to go myself when Ranger placed his hand on the back of my neck. His tone brooked no argument. "Thursdays Raven will be the one designated to be around her, Fridays will be Cal, Saturdays is Ram, Sundays will be Hector, Mondays it will be Woody, Tuesdays is Hal, and Wednesdays is Vince. In the event that any of you are injured and unavailable, Lester, Tank, Bobby, Zip, Zero and Binkie will be in the wings waiting."

No one said a word, they only nodded. Raven's gaze locked on me and if Ranger hadn't been standing there I might have been a little terrified at possible retribution. He said nothing though as he turned and made his way over towards where she sat in her car.

Ranger and I headed towards Newark. He said there was a person there he wanted me to meet. I was a little nervous, not knowing who it was that we were going to see. I suspected we'd be visiting someone in Ranger's family. I was sorta okay with that, just nervous because I wanted them to like me. It took a little over an hour and a half to reach the outskirts of the city and another ten minutes to reach our destination. Ranger came around and helped me out of the car and we walked towards the door. I tensed and Ranger put his hand on the back of my neck to reassure me.

He rang the doorbell and it was answered after a couple minutes. The woman standing before us was similar in age and stature to my grandma Mazur. All resemblances ended there. This woman was obviously of Cuban descent as was made obvious by her skin tone and warm brown eyes. She smiled and I knew instantly where Ranger's smile came from. She moved forward and put her hands on Ranger's face, speaking in what I guessed was Spanish.

"It has been too long since you've graced us with your presence. Come in, come in."

Ranger smiled and kissed the elderly woman on the cheek. "I've brought someone to meet you Nana."

The woman stepped back and looked me over. She had a twinkle in her eyes as she came over and enveloped me in her arms. I had no clue what she said to me and looked to Ranger for a translation. He told me this was his grandmother Rosa and she'd said it was a pleasure to finally meet the young woman her grandson was spending so much time with.

I must have looked a little shocked because Rosa started to laugh and when I looked to her she smiled and said, "You must be Stephanie Plum."

My eyes widened in shock. "You know who I am?"

"Ric has talked of you often. His description of you is spot on."

"It's nice to meet you as well."

We went into the living room and were seated on a sofa. Ranger's grandmother was a joy. We spent nearly two hours talking with her before heading back to Trenton. When Rosa told us not to be strangers, I assured her we'd be back soon. It was getting late when we got back to Rangeman. I was interested to find out how Kallie had settled but didn't want to disturb Raven if he'd already called it a night, or if he had a date or something.

Raven's POV:

Shit! I knew as soon as Ranger started to speak that I was going to get stuck with babysitting the little bitch. She'd already reaffirmed my hatred of her species when she rubbed off the touch of Lester's handshake. She was a white girl who didn't want to sully herself by touching a man of mixed breeding. I purposely moved to block her from getting to the front door of the house without coming close to me. She wanted to be raciest, fine. I was going to throw it back in her face. Too bad Stephanie was so determined to get this house back to it's original glory. I smiled to myself as I headed towards the Mustang. I knew Stephanie had felt my displeasure at being straddled with this task. I wouldn't really hurt her but she didn't need to know that. Steph had already earned my respect when she was willing to put her life in jeopardy to protect Ranger.

I had no intention to ride back to Rangeman with this white woman. I stopped at the driver's window and waited for her to roll down the window. When she reluctantly rolled down the window a couple inches I leaned down to meet her gaze. There was fear there for an instant before she slammed a blank look down onto her face. I briefly wondered what that was about but let it go for now. I indicated my car and told her to follow me. She looked at me but I had the impression she was looking through me. She gave a nod to acknowledge she'd heard me and I headed over to my own vehicle.

It didn't take long to get back to Rangeman. I was pulling into the garage and indicated to allow the next vehicle in as well. I parked and waited for her. I saw her stop at the entrance to the garage and hesitate. I was beginning to think I was going to have to go over and pull her little ass in here personally when she started the car in motion once more, inching into the garage and over to where I stood waiting. I was being an ass by standing close to the place where she'd have to park but I was still pissed about the assignment and wanted some of my own back. When I had to scramble to keep from being hit by her car when she suddenly sped up I was even more pissed. I didn't wait for her to kill the engine. I went over and jerked her door open and jerked her out of the car.

"What the fuck are you playing at bitch?"

She was white as a sheet and shaking uncontrollably. She burst into tears and something about her had me pulling her into my arms and gently rubbing her back to soothe her as I spoke gently to her. I glared at the camera daring the guys on monitors to say a damn word. She wasn't calming down, if anything she seemed worse. I lifted her and strode over to the stairwell. It took only a few seconds to reach the fourth floor and I headed for my apartment because at this point I had no idea which apartment she was going to have. Once inside I took her through and lay her on the bed. She seemed to be breathing easier and her color looked better. Her gaze met mine for an instant and then she was out like a light. Shit! I stood and strode out to the kitchen, putting a call through to Bobby.

He answered on the second ring, "Brown."

"This is Raven. Can you swing by my place as soon as you get back to Rangeman."

"What's the problem?"

"Stephanie's decorator. She nearly hit me in the garage and when I pulled her from the car she was white as a sheet and shaking. I brought her to my place and she passed out."

"I'll be there in five." With that he disconnected.

I kept checking on her while I waited for Bobby to show up. When the knock sounded on my door I strode through to the kitchen and tore the door open. "About time."

"You're lucky I got here this fast. Tank and Lester got delayed by a wreck. They gave me a heads up so I was able to avoid it. Where is she?"

"My bedroom."

His eyebrow rose at that but luckily for him he kept his mouth shut. I followed him to the bedroom and watched as he checked her out. He shook his head and then came back and asked me to tell him everything. I did and he shook his head again. "Her vitals are all good and I can find no reason for what you said occurred. I guess we'll just have to wait till she wakes up and I can ask her."

"Fine. What do I do with her in the meantime?"

"She's better off where she is."

"Hell no."

"Look, I know you have no fondness for the female of the species, and with how she acted after shaking Lester's hand I tend to agree with you about her, but..."

He stopped when he got a look at my face. He held up a hand and said, "I'll call Ella and see which apartment is free."

Kallie's POV:

I knew the minute I saw the garage that there was going to be a problem. I tried to relax myself enough so I'd be able to park the car and enter the building. I thought I had it under control until I entered the garage and got ambushed by a deluge of feelings. I had no control of the car and barely managed to get it stopped without hitting Raven. When he jerked my door open and pulled me from the car I couldn't stop the shaking. He pulled me to him and gently rubbed my back and spoke soothingly to me but I couldn't stop the shaking. Finally he lifted me and carried me upstairs to the fourth floor. I felt marginally better but I was still being swamped with emotions.

When he set me on his bed I relaxed even more and then suddenly I slumped and darkness claimed me. I was vaguely aware of another man coming in and checking me out, much like a doctor would do. He left and I slept. Usually I couldn't sleep in a strange place. Without making sure everything had been thoroughly cleaned first. I was able to sleep here though.

I'm not sure how long I'd been sleeping when I felt myself being carried. Suddenly I was being lowered and I moaned, not wanting to leave the safe place I'd found. Seconds later I was lying on another bed and sat straight up in bed shaking as I was once again hit with a deluge of emotions. My eyes opened and I noticed Bobby and Raven standing close by. I got up off the bed and wrapped my arms across my waist.

Bobby asked me how I was feeling and I shrugged saying I was fine. Then he asked if I wanted to talk about what had happened and I said no. I saw them exchange a look and Bobby went to leave. I heard the door shut and assumed he had left. I felt my gaze pulled to Raven. I could see he was angry and felt myself tense as if for an attack.

"I hope we don't have a repeat of what happened earlier. I won't be so forgiving the next time you try to run me over."

His eyes were hard and unforgiving. I said nothing, just waited for him to leave. When he finally left I let out a sigh of relief. I lost no time in stripping the room bare and cleaning everything thoroughly before stripping and stepping into the shower. I saw my bags had been set inside the door and I opened them and took out the sheets I always carried with me. They had been protected by the bag so I would be able to use them. Once the bed was made I slipped under the covers and was asleep instantly.

The next morning I was up and dressed when there was a knock on the door. I opened the door and the woman introduced herself as Ella and asked if I needed anything. She said any washing I needed done to just leave in the hamper and she'd get it when she came to clean the apartment. I bit my lip and she asked what was wrong. I asked her if it would be okay if she didn't clean my apartment. She looked hurt and I didn't want her to go away with the wrong impression so I asked her to come sit at the table for a moment. She sat down and put her hands on the table, giving me a questioning look. I nodded and asked her to switch seats with me. She continued to give me a puzzled look but complied.

I sat in the seat she vacated and put my hands over the table where she'd placed her hands. I closed my eyes and started speaking softly yet loud enough that she could hear me, "She was 13 when her parents died in a horrible car crash. She can't get the image out of her mind. She was half asleep in the back seat when the crash happened. When she woke her mother was looking at her with pain-filled eyes. It wasn't just the pain of her injuries that made her look so sad though. It was knowing she'd never get to see her little girl grow up to womanhood. So much love she had for her daughter. The man seated beside her was already gone. Her husband of twenty years. Such an all consuming love as theirs only came along once in a while. Not everyone was lucky enough to find a love like that but that was her hope for her daughter. Her last thought as she slipped from this world was 'I love you my darling Ella.' 13 year old Ella never forgot the look on her mother's face as she passed into death. At 20 she married a young man she loved with all her heart. She didn't know it but her mother's final thoughts had come true for her. She had found that same love her mother had known all those years before. The one thing Ella mourned was the fact she and Louis would never have a child of their own. That didn't mean her life was childless. When Ella's parents passed away she was sent to live with her aunt Rosa Manoso. Rosa treated Ella as one of her own. So when her cousins had children Ella was often called into service as babysitter..."

"Stop. Please child, I see what it costs you and understand why you've asked for me not to clean in here."

I look up at her with tear-filled eyes. I nod and she smiles at me.

I found a key fob on the counter and what I assumed was a fob to get into the garage. I cleaned them both before pocketing them and heading down to the garage to collect my car and head out for some groceries. The shaking started as I neared the garage. It was slightly better today because I knew what I was in store for. I was able to block some of it, but not enough to stop the trembling. I was extra careful pulling out of the garage and then relaxed as the trembling stopped. I finished my shopping in no time and headed back to Haywood. I tensed as I neared the Rangeman office building. I was just hoping there wouldn't be anyone around in case I lost control of the car again. I gave a sigh of relief as I was able to park and grab my bags and head for the stairwell with only a minimal of the trembling.

Lester's POV:

I frowned when I saw Kallie pull back into the garage. When she grabbed the grocery bags out of her car I sent a glare to the monitor. I knew her actions would hurt Ella and I wanted to reach through the monitor and strangle the little bitch. Her actions yesterday when I'd shook her hand were rude, but I was able to shrug them off. It wasn't the first time I'd come across someone who held my race against me and it wouldn't be the last. I was a big boy and could handle it though. Ella was a wonderful, caring woman who would be devastated by this young woman's actions and I wasn't having it. I called Caleb over and asked if he could cover for me for a few minutes. He was making noises so I showed him what was up. He was as angry as I was and readily agreed to cover for me. I stood and headed down to the fourth floor. I smiled to myself when I reached her apartment just before she did with her groceries.

I noticed she looked exhausted. I know Raven had called Bobby to check on her yesterday and even though I was angry at her I didn't want to jump on her if she was ill. I'm not cruel after all. Her gaze was on me as she drew near. I narrowed my eyes and ask her if she's okay. She nods so I feel no more compunction for pulling my punches, or in this case words.

"You're new here so you may not be aware of it, but Ella does the shopping for all of us. You leave her a list of what you want from the store and she grabs the list when she comes to clean your apartment."

Kallie opens her door and steps inside, not even acknowledging that I've spoken. I follow her inside and close the door. She sets the bags down on the counter and turns to me. "I've already talked to Ella and she's okay with not cleaning my apartment."

Now I'm beyond mad and am totally pissed. I know how my "aunt" would feel about being asked not to clean one of the apartments. I step forward ready to let go at this little snob when she holds a hand up. I notice she looks pale and seems to be shaking. Bobby had mentioned something about this last night when he, Tank and I were talking. "What's wrong with you? Are you on something?"

"No."

I give her my best intimidating look and she has the nerve to smile. I take a step closer and she looks like she's going to pass out but not because she's scared of me. She sways and I reach out to stop her fall. She flinches away from me and I pull my hands back and growl out, "You want to fall flat on your face fine by me. I won't touch you with my mixed blood hands."

She looks confused for a moment before steadying herself. "What are you talking about?"

I shrug, "You obviously don't want me touching you. I figure it's because I'm part Cuban, part Mexican and part who knows."

She looks sad and sighs, "I have nothing against you personally. I don't like being touched by anyone."

Suddenly her actions take on new meaning and I study her silently for several seconds. Not wanting to make another false assumption I come right out and ask her. "Why?"

She looks incredibly tired. Even more so than when I first saw her outside her door. She sighs and motions to the table. "Have a seat."

Thinking she would feel more comfortable if I were sitting I comply with her request. She asks me to place my hands on the table and I follow her instructions. After a couple minutes she asks me to switch to the other chair. Confused but willing to do as she asks, I move. She sits in the spot I just vacated and places her hands on the table.

She closes her eyes and speaks softly. Her words are barely more than a whisper as she speaks. "He's barely 20 when he finds himself on the other side of the world. He does this willingly. He has all these visions of serving his country and making the world a better place to live in. No one prepared him for just what he was going to walk into though. At first it's pretty much what he expected. More graphic than any video game and the blood is real. So is the smell of death. When his superior comes to him and asks him to go for more training he readily agrees. Anything to give him an edge to get out of this godforsaken place. He goes through Ranger training as well as Seal training and much more. He's been back with his unit for maybe three weeks when he's called to a special meeting. He can't believe it when he walks in and his cousin is there along with two other men. There's talk about a dangerous mission. He's willing to go along because he wants to watch his cousins back and make sure he makes it back from this mission.

_'I can't believe it._ S_hit! It's as if she's right there with us.' _I can't help thinking as I listen to her speak of something she can't possibly know anything about.

" The mission is a success, but the young man is forever changed. Never again will he ever be innocent or untouched by evil. He can't get the visions of what he saw out of his mind. Young girls huddled together naked as they are shown to potential buyers. Men old enough to be the girls fathers or grandfathers. As he waits for the sign to open fire one of the girls is pulled away from the others and she cries out. He's forced to watch as the men put their hands on the girl "checking her over" to see if she is worthy enough for them to purchase. He wants to pull the trigger and shoot everyone of the bastards but his orders are clear. He has one target. He wonders what will happen to the girls when he takes out his target. He can't change that now, all he can do is what he was sent here for. Finally the sign is given and he makes his shot. There's anguish in his heart because the only way for him to hit his target at this point is through the girl. She seems to look directly at him and he watches as she smiles and whispers _"Thank you."_ He only has time to make sure his mark has died and then he hurries to the rendezvous point."

Kallie turns to meet my gaze. Tears are streaming down her face. I can't seem to say anything. Finally she says, "I thought the gloves might be enough of a filter, but they weren't. You were remembering what happened to Dickie Orr when you shook my hand."

I looked at her with a new respect. I now understood why she was trying to wipe off my touch. I understood why she wouldn't want Ella in here cleaning or buying her groceries. I smile at her and say, "I'm glad you explained. I'll spread the word if that's okay."

She nods and I head back up to 5 and the monitors. When I get back, Ranger is standing there glaring, his arms crossed in front of him. Caleb stands and I sit back down. Ranger speaks quietly, "Did you explain to her that no one hurts Ella?"

I turn to Ranger and ran a hand through my hair, "She already talked to Ella. I think Ella understands why she doesn't want her in the apartment or anything."

At that Ranger was even more pissed. "Explain."

I took a deep breath and asked, "You remember the first mission the four of us were on?"

He nodded but said nothing.

I looked Ranger in the eye and said softly, "Kallie just described my part of that mission in detail. She had me sit at her table and then switch seats. She sat down where I'd sat and told me all about that first mission. Even that you were there and I agreed because I wanted to watch your back."

Ranger's eyes narrowed and he said nothing for several seconds. Then finally he nodded and said, "I'll talk to Ella and see if she's okay with this."

Stephanie's POV:

There was something about Kallie that drew me to her. I didn't know why she didn't seem to like being touched, but I was determined not to let the guys give her a hard time. I'd heard several of the guys talking about her being a snob and raciest. They also said she didn't belong at Rangeman since she couldn't be nice to Ella. I'd read them the riot act. I made sure they knew Ella understood Kallie's position on touching people and I reminded them we didn't know anything about Kallie's past so we shouldn't be judging her without knowing anything about her. I didn't delude myself that they'd stop talking badly about her, but knew they wouldn't do so in my presence.

Kallie had been working on the house for four days now. I smiled as I thought of Raven's reaction a week ago when Ranger designated this day as his day to stick to her. I was drawn to Raven as much as I was to Kallie. For some reason I felt like I'd known them all my life. But that was silly since I barely knew either of them. Kallie had decided to start at the top of the house and work her way to the ground. When she got started she didn't let any grass grow under her feet. Already most of the attic was done. I was confused because I thought Hal had already done this part when he set the house up to scare Dickie, but Kallie said it was all illusion. Before she started work though, she showed me two sketches. One of the attic as it was originally designed. The second was how she said the builder wanted it to look now. The second was how I saw the room looking now. For some reason the first design made me overwhelmingly sad. I agreed to have her go with the second sketch.

Ram and Hector didn't have much to do because Kallie had stayed in all weekend. Cal had thought he was safe because she wasn't scheduled to start till Monday, but he didn't count on her going out shopping and missed seeing her leave. Woody woke Monday to find his charge had already left and was at the house. Seems he wasn't expecting her to be up by 5 a.m. Learning from Woody's mistake, Hal was ready and waiting for her. He had to wait for three hours before she left her apartment. However, he made the mistake of taking a bathroom break at the precise moment Kallie decided to leave her apartment and head to the house. By the time he caught up with her she was already in the house working. Wednesday, Vince figured he could learn from the mistakes of the other two. He was up and ready by 5 a.m. and had his SUV parked in front of Kallie's car so there was no way for her to get out of the garage without alerting him. He wasn't counting on her riding out to the house with me to show me what she'd done so far. I saw Vince's SUV parked in front of her car and gave him a finger wave as I got into the Cayenne and pulled out of the garage. I was picking Kallie up out front. Vince learned she'd gone with me when we pulled back into the garage and she got out of the Cayenne. To say the guys were having a laugh at their expense was putting it mildly.

This morning Raven was up early and ready to go. He made his way to Kallie's door and knocked. When she answered he stepped inside and asked if she was ready to go. Kallie told him she had a few things to do first and Raven nodded and said fine before putting a handcuff on Kallie's left wrist and putting the other on his right wrist. When the headed to the garage, Kallie was not in the best of moods.

Kallie's POV:

I had just gotten up when there was a knock on the door. I opened the door to find Raven on the other side of the door. He asked if I was ready to go and I told him no, I had some things to do yet. He nodded and said fine and the next thing I knew he had a handcuff on my left wrist and before I could say anything he put the other one on his right wrist. I looked at him in horror. I looked at him and said, "You can't do that. I haven't even had a shower yet."

Raven just shrugged and told me to go ahead. It wouldn't bother him if I wanted to shower. I looked down at what I was wearing and asked, "And I suppose I'm supposed to go dressed like this?"

His eyes started at the top of my head and made the slow journey down before slowly making the journey back up so his gaze met mine. His eyes had darkened and his only comment was, "Doesn't matter to me either way. You want to change, then by all means. Otherwise wear what you have on."

"I need both hands to get dressed you jerk."

He pulled me close to him and our eyes locked. I looked away first and he had the nerve to laugh. I glared at him and headed for my bedroom. He was close behind me. I stopped on my way to the bathroom and picked up something from my dresser that I was hoping he didn't see. I then went to the bathroom door and when he went to follow me I put a hand up and shut the door in his face. I had the cuff off my wrist in a matter of seconds. I preceded to shower, shave, shampoo, and dry myself off. I brushed my hair and wove it into a single braid down my back. I went to the closet and found a pair of old, faded jeans, a black t-shirt and sneakers. When I was ready I opened the door and saw that instead of standing at the door, Raven was sitting on my bed with his back leaning against the headboard. When the door opened he looked over to me and gave me a once over. I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. He laughed and stood and I went over to the bed and pulled the bedding off the bed. His laughter stopped and he looked at me with such pure hatred I couldn't help but gasp. Luckily I was able to keep any sound from escaping.

He asked me if I was ready to go and I just nodded. I quietly followed him down to the garage and when he went to his car, I went to mine. I got in and closed my eyes to try and keep the tears from falling. I didn't know why I was suddenly feeling so sad. No, that's not true. I knew, but I was holding the door closed as tightly as I could. I felt him as he made his way over to me and I rolled the window down a couple inches. I opened my eyes and met his gaze.

"Are you done with the Prim a Donna routine?" He asked.

I glare at him and without saying a thing I start my car and put it into gear. Before he can say anything else I take off. I don't get far before he's behind me. I can feel his anger all the way up here. When I pull up to the house he's right behind me. Damn! I've been able to avoid this till now. Maybe if I hurry I can get in there before he catches up. I get out of the car and walk quickly up to the front door and use the key to unlock it. I step in and it all hits me at once. It's made a hundred times worse because I was in a hurry to get in here and didn't shore up any walls to help me keep it out. Not that they did that much good anyway. It's too much. I turn to run but he's blocking my way. I push against him but he takes my wrists and won't let go. Darkness takes me and I welcome it.

Raven's POV:

I have no intention of letting the little white bitch make a fool out of me. I am up early and knocking on her door. She answers the door wearing a robe. I put a cuff on her wrist and attach the other to my right wrist. When she closes the bathroom door in my face, I unlock the cuff from my wrist and leave it hanging while I go get comfortable on her bed. When she comes out she comes over and strips the bed. I laugh, but it's not a nice laugh. So the little bitch doesn't want to sleep on the sheets once I've touched them hmm. She looks at me and I see her struggling with some inner thought. I ask if she's ready to go and she nods. We head down to the garage and I head to my car. When I turn around I see she went to her car and is sitting there with her eyes closed. I go over and ask if she's done with the Prim a Donna routine and she starts her car and takes off. I raise an eyebrow as I watch her leave the garage. It doesn't take me long to catch up with her. When we pull up to the house I park and she's just going in the house when I step up behind her. She stops cold and suddenly turns and starts pushing against my chest. I take her wrists and hold them as she tries to break free. Suddenly she slumps and I barely catch her before her head hits the ground.

I carry her inside and lay her down on an old sofa in what's known of as the parlor. I pull out my phone and call Bobby. He tells me to keep an eye on her but she should be okay soon. I disconnect and glare at the phone. Not what I wanted to hear. I wanted him to say he was on the way or else get her back to Rangeman. Either way I would get out of babysitting. No such luck.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**When we pull up to the house I park and she's just going in the house when I step up behind her. She stops cold and suddenly turns and starts pushing against my chest. I take her wrists and hold them as she tries to break free. Suddenly she slumps and I barely catch her before her head hits the ground.**_

_**I carry her inside and lay her down on an old sofa in what's known of as the parlor. I pull out my phone and call Bobby. He tells me to keep an eye on her but she should be okay soon. I disconnect and glare at the phone. Not what I wanted to hear. I wanted him to say he was on the way or else get her back to Rangeman. Either way I would get out of babysitting. No such luck**_

Chapter 14:

Stephanie's POV:

I walked into Ranger's office to see Tank, Bobby and Lester in there. The minute I walk in they stopped talking. I fold my arms in front of me and give them my best Burg glare. "Okay. Out with it. What's going on?"

They look decidedly uneasy and my gaze moves to Ranger. He lifts an eyebrow, "Have a seat Babe."

I sit so I can see all of them. Lester seems to be fidgeting more than the others so I concentrate on looking at him. He groans and mumbles about something not being fair and then stands and goes over by the window.

Ranger raises his eyebrow at Lester but turns and meets my gaze. He asks, "How well do you know Kallie?"

"I only know what I've heard about her skills."

"Was there ever anything said about her having psychic abilities?"

I shook my head no. "Everything I heard is about her sister Jenny. That is, if someone needs a house restored she's brilliant."

Ranger nodded before continuing. "She asked Ella not to clean her apartment."

My heart fell. I wanted this house restored so badly, but I wasn't going to have Ella hurt. "I guess I'll have to ask her to find somewhere else to stay."

"No Babe, she can stay. She explained her reasons to Ella. That's not why we're all in here."

"But..."

Lester turned from the window, "She told me what happened on the first mission I did."

Suddenly I had a suspicion of where this was headed. "You're afraid she might be able to see compromising information and use it against you?"

Ranger paused before saying, "No, but she might see something classified and put herself in danger."

"So you would really feel better if she was staying somewhere else?"

"Yes."

"I don't think it's a good idea to have her staying on her own though."

Tank nodded, "We agree. That's why we're discussing who should stay close to her."

I nodded. "I think you should have Raven do it."

All four of them looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Ranger shook his head and said, "I've already pissed him off by putting him on one day a week. If I tell him he has 7 days a week, 24 hours a day he's _really_ not going to be happy. You're little decorator might not survive."

I shrug, "I just think he's the logical choice."

"Okay Babe, but he's going to think this was your idea."

"Well he'll be right then." I didn't let the guys see how that thought terrified me.

As the others left, Ranger pulled me into his arms and said, "Don't worry Babe. I'll protect you."

I put my arms around his neck and our lips met. Ranger deepened the kiss and things got hot and heavy quickly. I heard the lock click and gave myself up to pleasure. Ranger carried me over to the sofa and before I knew it I was lying naked under his delicious body. He entered me with one stroke and our rhythm grew faster the closer we got to the edge. I cried out as I went over the edge. Ranger continued kissing me for several minutes before we separated and dressed. He gave me one final passionate kiss before sending me up to 7. He said he'd be up as soon as he had a talk with Raven.

Kallie's POV:

I woke to find myself lying on a sofa. I looked around and saw Raven standing staring out the window. Just as I'd seen him doing countless times in the past year. He didn't want to be here, that was obvious. It hurt to see him so cold. To see the hatred in his eyes again when he looked at me. We'd been through this so many times before. Just once I wished it could be easy. But that wasn't our lot in life. Ours was a struggle to find the light. I was glad the little one was here with us already. She would be a calming force for him, just as always. Careful not to make a sound I swing my feet to the floor and sit up. As careful as I was I must have made a slight sound because he turns and stares at me. The hatred is banked for now but could easily make its appearance again. I watch as he walks over and sits on the other end of the sofa.

I watch as his eyes narrow. "You okay?"

I nod, not wanting to betray how close the tears are. He watches me for several seconds before continuing, "Can you tell me what happened?"

I shrug, fighting the tears. I see him getting frustrated with me and I struggle even harder to not cry. I hate crying. I clench my hands and stand. I walk over to the window and look out. I wonder what is so fascinating that he is drawn to this spot. When I see it I stiffen and turn to walk out of the house. I make my way over to the fenced in spot clearly visible from that window. I don't think he's even aware that's where his attention has been drawn. The grass is deeper here. I open the gate and walk the few steps to where the headstone stands. I kneel down and brush away the growth. The writing is faded but I'm still able to make out:

_Here lies Margaret Alicin McGregor Daniels_

_1794-1813_

_Beloved wife of Branden Michael Daniels and_

_Beloved mother of Michelle Alicin Daniels_

_I will always love you my Maggie. You are the_

_love of my life. You have given me the most_

_precious gift. The gift of our daughter. It breaks_

_my heart you won't be with us to watch her grow._

_Your loving husband,_

_Branden_

My hand shakes as I touch the signature. I see him as he lovingly carves out the words. Tears pour down his face. So much heartbreak. I feel the rage and find myself standing and backing away. I turn and look up to the attic. I know he's up there watching me. I move away for now because that's what he wants. But soon I will return. I turn and Raven is there watching me, his eyes narrowed. There is such hatred in his eyes. It hurts my heart to see it there. Soon I'll need to deal with that as well.

I walk over to where he is standing and my gaze locks with his. He sneers and asks, "You planning on doing any work today?"

I bite my lip and say nothing as I continue past him and go back into the house. I make my way up to the attic and look over everything. After a few minutes I'm satisfied this room is finally complete. I go over to the window and look down. I feel a hand on the back of my neck as someone kisses me softly at the juncture of the neck and shoulder. I hear the words, _'You have your own place in my heart my love. Never think otherwise. I had my happily ever after with my Maggie last time. This time it's your turn.'_

A sob escapes and I turn but there's no one else in the room. I slowly make my way down to the next floor and pick up the sketch pad. I sit down on the floor and close my eyes. My hand moved to try and capture what my mind was seeing. I was unaware of the passage of time. Finally, I felt I could do no more. I set down the sketch pad and pencil and stood. I stretched for several minutes before I moved towards the stairs and made my way downstairs. I found Raven looking out the window again and purposely bumped into the table holding the lamp near the door.

Raven turned to face me, his expression blank. "You ready to leave?"

"Yeah."

His eyes widened as if he was surprised by my answer. Apparently he wasn't expecting me to answer at all. I rolled my eyes and turned to head out to my car. I didn't wait for him to reach his car before I headed out. I was fine till I reached the entrance to the garage. I stopped and was unable to make myself go forward. I put the car in park and sat there shaking. I couldn't breath. When the car door opened I turned panic filled eyes to whoever was standing there. Suddenly I was being pulled out of the car and held gently against a lean, muscular frame. I wrapped my arms around the waist of the man holding me and closed my eyes. I was totally unprepared for the deluge of emotions that hit me.

I was vaguely aware of Lester asking me if I was okay. I clung even tighter to the person holding me. Then Lester was asking me if he should drive my car or have it towed. I mumbled something about he could drive it. Next thing I knew I was lifted and felt myself being carried through the Lobby to the elevator. The doors opened on the fourth floor and when we stopped in front of my apartment I knew I couldn't go in there. I still couldn't get comfortable there. I felt his hesitation before we moved to another door. I relaxed as we entered and he carried me over and sat me down on the sofa.

Raven's POV:

I could tell she was upset when she headed out to the car and she didn't wait for me before she took off. I was behind her in no time and when we reached Rangeman we were going to exchange words. She pulled up to the entrance to the garage and remained there. I was furious at her behavior and decided to park and let her have it. This shit needed to stop. I backed up and parked at the curb in front of the building. Then I got out and strode up to her car and pulled the door open. Shit! What the hell was wrong with her. I looked at the camera and made a gesture to let the com room know to send someone down. She turned panic filled eyes towards me but I had the feeling she wasn't really seeing me. I pulled her against me and wrapped my arms around her. I didn't understand this sudden need to protect her.

Lester came up and I heard him asking her if she was okay and she clung tighter to me. Then he asked if he should move her car or have it towed. I frowned, not understanding why he would have the car towed the short distance to the garage, but hey... She mumbled something about him driving it and Lester slipped into the car and drove it into the garage. I lifted her and carried her into the building via the Lobby. I headed for the elevator and punched the button for the fourth floor. When I stopped in front of her apartment she started getting upset so I carried her the few steps to my apartment and set her on the sofa. She seemed to quiet and I went to stand but her grip tightened. I sat beside her and gently caressed the few tendrils of hair that had escaped her braid.

There was a knock on the door and I called for them to enter. I was joined by Bobby, Ranger and Stephanie. Bobby came over and checked Kallie over. She surprised me by climbing into my lap and clinging to me as if her life depended on it. Once she was in my lap, she allowed Bobby to touch her. After checking her over he said she was physically fine. I gave him a look at that but he just shook his head.

The look on Stephanie's face had me wanting to reassure her everything was going to be just fine, but I refrained from doing so. Ranger wrapped his arms around her and she turned into him. I narrowed my eyes as I watched the interaction between them. I looked up and my gaze locked with Ranger's. I could see the love for her shining in his eyes. I was glad she'd found such a love. For most people this type of love only came once in a lifetime. I knew for Stephanie, this was it for her. For some reason when I looked at Stephanie I saw another. The woman was smiling with love filling her eyes. She was familiar to me yet I'd never seen her before.

Stephanie turned and asked me, "Will she be alright here?"

I hesitated. I didn't want Kallie in my apartment yet I knew Stephanie would only worry if I told her I intended taking Kallie back to her own apartment. I nodded, "She'll be fine. I'll see you both tomorrow."

Ranger nodded, "I need to see you in my office first thing. Bring Kallie with you."

I locked gazes with Ranger but he gave nothing away. I had a really bad feeling about that meeting taking place the next day. I gave a small nod. They left and I found myself sitting back and settling Kallie more firmly in my arms.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**Stephanie turned and asked me, "Will she be alright here?"**_

_**I hesitated. I didn't want Kallie in my apartment yet I knew Stephanie would only worry if I told her I intended taking Kallie back to her own apartment. I nodded, "She'll be fine. I'll see you both tomorrow."**_

_**Ranger nodded, "I need to see you in my office first thing. Bring Kallie with you."**_

_**I locked gazes with Ranger but he gave nothing away. I had a really bad feeling about that meeting taking place the next day. I gave a small nod. They left and I found myself sitting back and settling Kallie more firmly in my arms.**_

Chapter 15: A Move Is Planned

Stephanie's POV:

I was worried about Kallie. Ranger and I went up to the apartment and watched a show on the discovery channel for awhile, but my attention was divided. Ranger pulled me to him and told me not to worry. I gave him a week smile and he just shook his head. Then he suggested distracting me. Our eyes met and he knew he had a wining suggestion. He carried me into the bedroom and what a distraction.

When I woke it was nearly 9 a.m. I padded into the bathroom and took a long hot shower, washing my hair as well. Once I'd dried off and dressed I brushed out my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. I grabbed my keys and headed for the elevator. I figured I'd check on Kallie first to see how she was doing. I stopped outside Raven's apartment and knocked. I was just getting ready to knock again when the door was pulled open and a very disgruntled Raven stood there staring at me.

I smiled and told him, "I just stopped down to check on Kallie."

"She's still sleeping."

My eyes widened. "Have you talked to Bobby?"

"No. Why should I bother him because _Sleeping Beauty _doesn't want to wake up?"

The way he said 'Sleeping Beauty' put me on the defensive and I gave him a glare. He raised his hands in a surrender motion and said, "Forget I said that."

"I could stay with her for awhile."

"Not until Cal shows up to relieve me."

"Cal?"

"Today's Friday. Cal's up."

I swallowed hard. "Have you talked to Ranger yet?"

"No. I've been waiting for Cal to show up or for her to wake up."

I nodded. "I'll stay here while you go talk to Ranger."

"Shit! What have you done? You better not have done what I'm thinking you did."

I shrug and just smile. Raven glares at me and pulls me into his apartment. He points to the sofa and says, "Sit! Do not move till I get back. If Kallie wakes up have her take a seat as well. I'll deal with you when I get back."

With that he left slamming the door after him. I was surprised the slamming door didn't wake Kallie. I went into the bedroom and found her sound asleep. She looked so young lying there in that bed. I turned to go but suddenly she started moving around as if she was caught in a nightmare of some kind. I carefully made my way over to the bed and softly called her name.

"Kallie. Are you okay?"

Her eyes opened suddenly and the look in them scared the shit out of me. It was like she was looking into some unknown vision of hell. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her waist. I went to reach out to touch her and she flinched. I pulled my hand back and wondered what I should do. I pulled my phone out but she shook her head.

"No. He can't help."

"Would it help to talk?"

"Not to you. Sorry, but I'm not telling you about this."

"What can I do?"

"I can't stay here. It's too much. They've seen things and done things no human should have to do."

I knew what she was telling me. I nodded, "Ranger thinks it would be better for you to stay somewhere else."

Kallie nodded, "He's right. I can't stay at the house right now though. There's too much emotion there yet."

"Too bad my grandma has already moved into my old apartment. You could have stayed there."

Kallie smiles at me, "And risk getting blown up by your stalker. No thanks."

"My stalker?" I look at her with wide eyes, "I don't have a stalker."

Kallie frowned. She looked at me for several moments, her eyes narrowing and it seemed as if she went to a far off place. Suddenly she blinked and now I was really scared by the look in her eyes. "He's in the watching stage. He's not ready to let you know he's there."

I glared at her and put my hands on my hips. "That is so not what I wanted to hear."

Kallie grimaced. "Imagine how I feel."

I sighed. "Do you know who it is?"

She shook her head. "No. Right now he's just a shadow."

"Crap! I so do not need this right now."

Kallie yawns and I debate on whether to sit down beside her or not. Before I can do anything she slips out of bed and I notice she's wearing Raven's shirt from the night before. I raise my eyebrow at her and she blushes.

"He thought I'd rest easier in less restricting clothes."

I smile, "Uh huh."

I'm totally surprised when she laughs and then sticks her tongue out at me. She heads for the bathroom and says, "I'm taking a shower."

I headed back out to the living area and sit in the chair. I no more than get seated when the door flies open and slams against the wall. Raven is standing in the doorway and he looks pissed. His gaze locks with mine and he stalks closer. "What possessed you? What did I ever do to you that you would do this?"

I was frozen to my seat. I was going through possible escape routes in my mind when I heard Ranger's deadly voice say, "That's enough. You're out of line."

Raven turned to Ranger and I was afraid they were going to kill each other. We were all startled by the scream coming from the bedroom. Ranger and Raven hurried into the bedroom. A second later both men came back out laughing so hard I thought they might fall on the floor. It took them several seconds before they got control of themselves but as soon as I asked them what had happened they started laughing again. I still had no clue what was going on when several minutes later a fully dressed Kallie came out and glared at both of them setting them off again.

Kallie put her hands on her hips and stormed over to where the two men sat still laughing on the sofa. She glared at them both and said, "Laugh it up fur balls. Very funny."

I couldn't stand it. I asked, "What?"

"I came out of the shower to find a mouse in the bathroom. I hate mice! I screamed and these two Bozos come in and see me standing on the edge of the tub with a towel wrapped around me and the damn mouse is trying to climb up on the tub with me. They seem to get a kick out of it and come out here laughing themselves silly while the damn rodent continues to try and join me on the tub!"

I couldn't help it. I smiled. The smile got wider and before I knew it I was laughing just as hard as Ranger and Raven. Kallie looked at me like I'd lost my mind. I finally got control of my laughter and said, "Have I told you about my pet Rex?"

She was wary as she said, "No. Why?"

"Rex is a hamster."

Her eyes got big and she swayed, "You keep a mouse as a pet?"

"Rex isn't a mouse. He's a hamster. Right now he's staying with my parents."

I stopped when Ranger shook his head. My eyes widened and I said, "What do you mean he's not staying with my parents?"

Ranger continued laughing and pointed towards Raven's bathroom. I stood up and raced into the bathroom. What I saw there had me screaming. My poor baby was laying on the edge of the tub with his little chest rising and falling fast. I cupped my hands around him and lifted him. I carried him back out into the living area and when Kallie saw me carrying him she screamed and threw herself into Raven's arms. The two guys started laughing for all they were worth. Kallie and I both glared at them. However, I think her reasons for glaring were quite different than mine.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**I couldn't help it. I smiled. The smile got wider and before I knew it I was laughing just as hard as Ranger and Raven. Kallie looked at me like I'd lost my mind. I finally got control of my laughter and said, "Have I told you about my pet Rex?"**_

_**She was wary as she said, "No. Why?"**_

"_**Rex is a hamster."**_

_**Her eyes got big and she swayed, "You keep a mouse as a pet?"**_

"_**Rex isn't a mouse. He's a hamster. Right now he's staying with my parents."**_

_**I stopped when Ranger shook his head. My eyes widened and I said, "What do you mean he's not staying with my parents?"**_

_**Ranger continued laughing and pointed towards Raven's bathroom. I stood up and raced into the bathroom. What I saw there had me screaming. My poor baby was laying on the edge of the tub with his little chest rising and falling fast. I cupped my hands around him and lifted him. I carried him back out into the living area and when Kallie saw me carrying him she screamed and threw herself into Raven's arms. The two guys started laughing for all they were worth. Kallie and I both glared at them. However, I think her reasons for glaring were quite different than mine.**_

Chapter 16: What The House Says

Ranger's POV:

Babe headed out to the house with Raven and Kallie. She was going to spend the day checking out the other buildings. I sent a text to Cal and told him he'd be joining them. I wanted to make sure Babe was well protected at all times. I headed to my office and while they were gone I was planning on locating an RV and getting it set up as soon as possible. From what I'd learned from Lester of his encounter with Kallie, I knew there would be some issues that would need to be dealt with. I hit pay dirt with my third call. I headed out to check things out, and liking what I found I bought the RV. I called Lester and told him I wanted him to drive it out to the house. I figured since Kalli agreed to let him drive her car, that meant Lester was safe for her. He agreed to clean the RV and get everything hooked up.

I headed back to Rangeman and checked out the guys rotation. Although we were going with Raven being with Kallie 24/7, I knew there would be times when he'd need a break. Plus there would be times when Babe would want to go out and check on the house. I decided the original "Kallie watch" would serve us well with a few adjustments. For one thing, if Babe was going to be anywhere near the house I wanted one of the core team to be there as well. Once I was satisfied I hit the send and knew the guys would be getting this updated version of the schedule immediately.

I wasn't sure what the fascination was with this house, but I'd asked an old buddy to do some in-depth research into the history of the house. He was good at digging up details that others wouldn't have a chance at finding. I was meeting with him later today.

Stephanie's POV:

Kallie and I made our way over to the grave she'd found. I knelt down and read what was written on the headstone. For some unknown reason tears poured down my cheeks and I felt infinitely sad. To imagine dieing at the age of 19. She had a daughter. How much of her daughters life had she seen? As I knelt there crying for a woman I'd never even met, I felt myself enveloped in an embrace. It freaked me out enough I quickly stood. Kallie looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you okay Steph?"

I shook my head. "I felt someone's arms around me but there's no one else here."

"It's Branden. He's trying to ease your pain."

I look at her like she's lost her mind. "Who's that and why would he want to do that?"

Kallie bites her lip and looks at me a couple minutes, as if she's weighing how much to tell me. "Branden built the house. All I can tell you is that you're very important to him."

I frown, not getting what she's trying to tell me. I mean, why would someone who lived 200 years ago be interested in me. He doesn't even know me for one thing, our lives are centuries apart. And why would I be important to him? That made absolutely no sense...right?

Kallie just shakes her head and says, "That's all I can tell you right now. Would you like to see what I'm working on now? The attic is totally finished. I've moved down to the third floor now."

I nod. "I'd love to see what you're working on now."

She leads me up to the third floor and we make our way to the back room. The room has been thoroughly cleaned. I see the sketch pad on the floor and go over and pick it up. I can't believe what I'm seeing. The beauty of the drawing floors me. I look from the drawing to the room around me and I can see it all so clearly.

I shake my head and look to Kallie. "This is beautiful."

Kallie smiled. "This was Michelle's room."

I look at the drawing again and my eyes widen as I see the silhouette of cartoon characters. "This can't be right. These cartoons weren't even published till years later. They can't have been part of the room."

Kallie nodded. "I know. But it's what they want for this room."

I hesitated, "Can you show me what it actually looked like?"

"I can do that. Just know that this is something they won't be moved on."

I can't help shivering. Kallie sits down on the floor and works quietly for several minutes. When she turns the pad around for me to see, I find it hard to believe 30 minutes have passed. I look over the new sketch and I have to admit it lacks something. I look again at her first sketch and can't believe the difference. They were shadows of the cartoons, you couldn't actually see them for what they were unless you knew what to look for. The only reason I caught it was because of the significance of these cartoons to my life. I had a dilemma. I wanted to recreate the house in as near to the original as I could. I'd already deviated by allowing the new version of the attic. If I bent the rules here too, how much of the house would end up being as it was so long ago. I heard someone say, "_Does it matter?_" but when I look around no one is here but Kallie and myself. I know she didn't say it...so who? I close my eyes for a second before nodding and saying, "Okay. Go with your first sketch."

Kallie's POV:

I watched as Stephanie struggled. I wanted so badly to just tell her all of it. I couldn't though. She wouldn't believe me if I told her. Hell, sometimes I didn't believe it myself. After all, reincarnation is weird shit. The only thing is, I know it happens. I clasp my hands together so I don't reach out and touch her. For one, her life hasn't been a bed of roses and I wasn't ready to "see" that yet. Also, my emotions where she's concerned are pretty involved already. I hated seeing her struggle. Always had, always would. It didn't help that I knew how things would end for her. Instead, I suggested she go upstairs and rest in the rocker. He would show her what she needed to know. It was time.

I watch as she makes her way up to the attic and I move on to the next room. This room too has been thoroughly cleaned. I take my sketch pad and sit on the floor and let the emotions surround me. I close my eyes and let my hand draw what comes to mind.

It's late when I feel another presence. I put down the sketch pad and look up to find Ranger and Raven looking at me. I notice Ranger seems to be searching for something, or someone. I tell him Stephanie is in the attic and he makes his way up there. Raven steps into the room and motions towards the sketch pad. "Mind if I see what you've done so far?"

I hand him the pad and he studies it for several minutes before saying, "Which view is she going for?"

"Which one do you think she should go for?"

His gaze locks with mine and suddenly he smiles, but it's a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "I vote for the Batman and Wonder Woman room by all means."

I nodded. "So did Stephanie."

Raven nodded. "They delivered the RV. Lester drove it here and cleaned it. Do you need to do anything else before we stay there? If so, you better do it now while there's still some light left."

I nodded and turned to make my way downstairs. When I reach the RV, Lester is there smiling ear to ear. Hey Gorgeous. How about you ditch your bodyguard and we go inside and say hello?"

I smile at the sense of fun he emits. I reach out to grab the door and freeze. Suddenly I'm miles away laying on the ground with a high powered rifle watching, waiting. I sight through the scope and find my target. He must be eliminated first so she can be mine. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and look up at the window to the attic. They are up there together. I turn and run as fast as I can. I have only seconds to warn them. By the time I reach the attic I'm breathless. The both turn to look at me and all I can get out is, "Sniper. Duck."

Ranger acts instantly taking Stephanie and I both to the floor with him as a bullet hits the wall. I look up and shiver as I see just how close we came. Had Ranger not moved as quickly as he had, he would have been dead. His eyes lock with mine and he asks, "Do you know who it is?"

"No. He's only been in shadows so far. He's coming out into the light. In his mind he has to eliminate you so Stephanie can be his."

"Maybe we should put the house on hold."

Stephanie looked crushed. "I don't care what we do as long as you're safe. I can't let anything happen to you."

I finally do what I've been avoiding. It's the only way. I put my hand on Stephanie's head and close my eyes. After several seconds my eyes open wide and I let them in on who fired the shot.

Stephanie's POV:

I fell asleep the minute I sat down. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't even tired. The dream came instantly. The man and woman I'd seen last time were there. I saw their courtship and marriage. Then I watched as the woman grew round with child. Again, the minute the child was born the woman and man shared their final moments and she died. I continue to watch as the man brings another young woman into the house to care for the child. For some reason the woman reminds me of Kallie even though they look nothing alike. The man seems like someone I should know as well.

I watch as the woman cares for the child and man. Eventually the man suggests they marry so his daughter can have a mother. The woman agrees. It's obvious she's in love with the man even though he never shows her the hint of kindness. When the young woman becomes pregnant, the man is furious. He banishes the woman to the attic and refuses to have anything further to do with her or her child. Once the child is born he agrees that the woman can use a room on the third floor close to his daughter but he wants nothing to do with the child.

Over the years the woman cares for both children. Michelle, the daughter of Branden and Margaret and her own daughter with Branden, Cassandra. Time passes and both girls grow up, marry and start lives of their own. Michelle's life is in jeopardy many times. Her first husband tries to kill her. Then an old beau drags her into a life of lies and deceit, then just when she's found a man she loves and wants to spend her life with, tragedy strikes and he is nearly killed protecting her. Thinking that he would be safer if she weren't a part of his life she leaves, never to be heard from again.

Cassandra on the other hand has a truly charmed life. She marries a man she loves with all her heart and they live happily. They have 5 children, three sons and two daughters. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren are numerous. Although her early years were tragic and she never felt her father's love, she knew her mother loved her. She loved her sister, even if she did envy her their father's love.

As each face moves in a kaleidoscope, I suddenly see my own mother giving birth to me and smiling as she names me Stephanie Michelle Plum. When my father asks where the Michelle came from, my mom turns to him and smiles, "I could swear I heard her say that's what she wanted her middle name to be. Something about this time Michelle was going to have a happy ending."

I wake up, my eyes open wide thinking no way. No way can I be the reincarnation of Michelle Daniels. Just as I'm thinking that I hear Ranger call out "Babe."

I quickly stand and rush to meet him. He wraps his arms around me and I shiver. We stand like that for quite awhile before I hear someone racing up the steps, and then Kallie is there saying sniper, duck. I'm scared when I see how close I came to loosing Ranger, again. Then Kallie puts her hand on my head and when she tells us who's stalking me I can't believe it. No one is going to believe this one.

_Okay guys, the weird part (the stuff with the reincarnation) is nearly over and I'd like to thank all of you for sticking with the story when the characters hijacked the story and took it in this direction. Although there will be the hint of it when Kallie and Stephanie talk about the house, it won't be as widespread as it has been in the past few chapters. So...does anyone have a clue as to who the new stalker is?_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**As each face moves in a kaleidoscope, I suddenly see my own mother giving birth to me and smiling as she names me Stephanie Michelle Plum. When my father asks where the Michelle came from, my mom turns to him and smiles, "I could swear I heard her say that's what she wanted her middle name to be. Something about this time Michelle was going to have a happy ending."**_

_**I wake up, my eyes open wide thinking no way. No way can I be the reincarnation of Michelle Daniels. Just as I'm thinking that I hear Ranger call out "Babe."**_

_**I quickly stand and rush to meet him. He wraps his arms around me and I shiver. We stand like that for quite awhile before I hear someone racing up the steps, and then Kallie is there saying sniper, duck. I'm scared when I see how close I came to loosing Ranger, again. Then Kallie puts her hand on my head and when she tells us who's stalking me I can't believe it. No one is going to believe this one.**_

Chapter 17: Reincarnation and A Stalker

Kallie's POV:

Ranger and Stephanie headed back to Rangeman. Now that we knew who the stalker was a plan had been put into motion. I knew it was safe for me to continue work on the house. Unless Stephanie came back out here the stalker would leave us alone. I had 30 minutes to get the RV the way I wanted it before it got too dark. We'd have lights in the RV, but the less juice we used the better. We ate dinner and I while I sat at the kitchen table working on my laptop, Raven went to the master bedroom and closed the door. Sometime after 11 I stood and stretched before heading to my bed.

Uh oh. There were two beds alright, but I couldn't use the logical one for me. I was smaller than Raven and it would be logical for me to take the smaller of the two. However, there was no way I could sleep on that bed. I sighed and made my way to where Raven was sleeping.

"We have a problem."

He wasn't in the best of moods. "What?"

"I can't sleep in the other bed."

"That's your problem."

I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. He turned over and went to sleep...or at least pretended too. I sighed. Fine! He wanted to play that game well just fine. I toed off my shoes and slipped off my jeans. I sensed him tense as he demanded, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Getting ready for bed."

"Fine. Go to _your_ room and get ready for bed."

"I told you I can't sleep in that bed."

"Well you sure in the hell aren't sleeping here."

By this time I've undressed and pulled on the t-shirt he put me in the night before. I pull the covers back and slide into bed. I turn on my side and close my eyes only to open them wide when Raven slips up behind me and it's obvious he's not wearing anything. "Not a smart move. You can't sleep here."

I turn over on my back and look right at him. "I'm claustrophobic. The other bed is in a cupboard and there is no way I'm putting myself in there."

He sighs in disgust and climbs out of bed and stalks to the bathroom. He comes back in a minute wearing a pair of boxers. He gets back under the covers and turns on his side away from me. I try to get the image of a naked Raven out of my mind, but oh man is he one fine specimen of manhood. I close my eyes tight and try to make myself relax. I turn and face Raven only to quickly turn back the other way. I heard Raven swear and suddenly I was pulled back against him and his arm holds me at the waist.

"_Now_, go to sleep."

I close my eyes and I'm asleep within minutes.

Raven's POV:

Thank God she finally went to sleep. If she'd done much more moving about I would have had her under me moving in a much more intense way. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander. When it came, the dream wasn't unexpected. I knew it would come at some point and I even knew what it would be about. I'd known as soon as I saw the house. I saw them as they were all those years ago. Branden loved Maggie fiercely. She could do no wrong as far as he was concerned. Had she not died at the tender age of 19 in childbirth, Branden would have learned his Maggie wasn't all she pretended to be.

Branden came from wealth. When he moved into the area, Maggie's father came to her and asked her to play up to him. She readily agreed and soon had him ensnared with her beauty. She played him like a fine instrument. She was ecstatic when he proposed and when she told him she was pregnant he was even happier. The child was his, of that there was never a doubt. Maggie hadn't counted on dieing in childbirth though. She planned to use the child as leverage to get a divorce and money form Branden. She was even willing to give up her daughter for the money he would give her.

He couldn't see that though. So when she died he put her on a pedestal and would hear nothing bad about her. It was obvious that Branden couldn't let his business go and care for his infant daughter all on his own though. He advertised and when Nicole answered the ad he immediately hired the black haired beauty. She was so different from Maggie that Branden knew his heart would be safe. As time wore on Branden decided he should marry Nicole and give his daughter Michelle a mother. He put his plan into motion and Nicole did agree to marry him. She was deeply in love with him but he didn't want her love. All he wanted was her mothering skills for Michelle and a warm bed mate. When Nicole turned up pregnant he banished her to the attic room and moved out of her bed.

Once the child was born he agreed Nicole could move into a room on the third floor but never again did he climb into her bed. As for their daughter Cassandra, he wanted nothing to do with the child. As I watched his actions towards the child, I came to the realization that Cassandra's life was much as my own had been. I grew up learning to hate females and Cassandra had every reason to hate all males. Fortunately for her she found the love of a worthy man. He treated her as if the world revolved around her and their children.

I watched as the faces changed through history and I watched my own birth. As I was born I heard a far off voice say that in this lifetime, a Daniel would have a happy life. I looked at the woman who spoke. The name on her ID badge said Sister Margaret Alicin. She named me Daniel Raven because when asked, my...mother, for lack of a better term, said she really didn't care what I was called. One of the other sisters asked Sister Margaret why she chose that name. The Sister smiled and said, "He reminds me of an old soul I once knew."

I saw myself looking in the mirror and Branden Daniels was looking back at me. I shook my head. I knew our souls rejuvenated and came back. It was the way of the world. For some reason, when I looked at Kallie I saw the face of the black haired beauty Branden Daniels married to care for his daughter Michelle.

When I woke, it was barely 5 a.m. I slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom to dress.

Kallie's POV:

I dreamed of them. Branden and Maggie, then I saw my arrival into the mix. Kallie Nicole Summers. Maggie was dead and no one could say anything negative about her. I heard it all though and kept it to myself. I refused to let Michelle learn her mother was willing to sell her to her father. That she'd only had her for the money she would bring. I loved Branden, but he couldn't see me through his love for Maggie. She was his everything. Her and Michelle.

When Branden asked me to marry him for Michelle's sake I agreed. I was willing to accept the scraps he could give me. I made the mistake of getting pregnant though, and that ended my relationship with Branden forever. I can't regret having Cassandra though. I loved my little girl with my whole heart. It made me incredibly sad to see how Branden treated our daughter. I knew one day he would feel what our daughter went through. That as a child his own mother would turn away from him and not care for him, and that he would not know his father because of his mother's actions.

I cried for the child he would be then. I knew I'd meet him as a man, and that I'd have to work through the hate he would feel for all women. Well, by the time I'd meet him there would be one woman who would have wormed her way through his defenses. I knew my life wouldn't be easy before meeting him. It was to prepare me for him. I wasn't looking forward to it, but knew it had to be.

As I neared consciousness, I heard Branden speak softly to me, "Maggie and I had our happy ending last time. This is your turn my precious."

Reincarnation. I had no choice but to believe. I saw it all after all and to doubt it would be to doubt my own sanity.

Stephanie's POV:

I slipped out of bed at 9 a.m. and made my way to the shower. Once I'd shampooed my hair, shaved and washed myself clean, I dried and dressed into a pair of jeans, black work boots, and a green t-shirt. I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. I headed into the kitchen and checked the fridge. Ella had left me a Belgian Waffle with strawberries, whipped cream and bacon. I placed the waffle and bacon in the microwave and then added the rest when it was heated. After I ate I cleaned the dishes. I was getting ready to head out to the bonds office. I figured it was probably time I get back to work. I headed down to five so I could talk with Ranger before I left. I knew he would probably want me to have a shadow at least.

I knocked on Ranger's door and when he said enter I opened the door. "I'm headed to the bonds office."

Ranger's eyes snared mine and he gave me a pointed look. I put my hands on my hips and gave him a glare. "I am not going to be locked up damn it!"

He continued to stare at me saying nothing. Finally I sighed. "Alright. I'll take a shadow. I'll even carry my gun. Loaded."

Still nothing. Shit! If he didn't talk soon I'd be promising not to ever go out unless he thought it was safe.

Ranger smiled. "Good to know Babe. But this time I think I'll settle for you taking Lester with you."

I gave him my best glare and turned to head out. I shouted, "Lester! You're on deck. Let's go."

With that I made my way down to the garage and over to Lester's car.

Unknown POV:

We are all on heighten alert. Seems Stephanie has another stalker. I smile.

Unknown POV:

I miss seeing her. Before Morelli's death I would see her 3 or 4 times a week. It was all his fault. He was keeping her from us...from me. Soon I would explain to him the error of his ways. Then we would be together forever. I smile.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

**_I knocked on Ranger's door and when he said enter I opened the door. "I'm headed to the bonds office."_**

_**Ranger's eyes snared mine and he gave me a pointed look. I put my hands on my hips and gave him a glare. "I am not going to be locked up damn it!"**_

_**He continued to stare at me saying nothing. Finally I sighed. "Alright. I'll take a shadow. I'll even carry my gun. Loaded."**_

_**Still nothing. Shit! If he didn't talk soon I'd be promising not to ever go out unless he thought it was safe.**_

_**Ranger smiled. "Good to know Babe. But this time I think I'll settle for you taking Lester with you."**_

_**I gave him my best glare and turned to head out. I shouted, "Lester! You're on deck. Let's go."**_

_**With that I made my way down to the garage and over to Lester's car.**_

_**Unknown POV:**_

_**We are all on heighten alert. Seems Stephanie has another stalker. I smile. **_

_**Unknown POV:**_

_**I miss seeing her. Before Morelli's death I would see her 3 or 4 times a week. It was all his fault. He was keeping her from us...from me. Soon I would explain to him the error of his ways. Then we would be together forever. I smile.**_

Chapter 18: Out Of The Shadows

Stephanie's POV:

Lester and I headed to the bonds office and I picked up some files from Connie. Vinnie was in rare form about me finally deigning to get back to work. Lester sat me down on the couch and said he'd be back in a minute. He went into Vinnie's office and shut the door. There was a lot of loud sounds coming from Vinnie's office. Suddenly the door opened and Lester strode out. He looked over to me and asked if I was ready to go. I nodded and gathered my files from Connie. I was just about ready to leave when I heard Vinnie call my name and apologize for giving me a hard time. He told me to take as many days off as I needed whenever I needed. I looked at Lester and caught a smirk on his face. I thanked Vinnie and said I'd keep that in mind.

Once I was seated in the passenger side of Lester's car I opened the first file and read through it. I made my way through the five files and frowned when I got to the last one. Lester noted my frown and asked what was up. I showed him the file and he did some colorful swearing and went to reach for the door. I asked him where he was going and he said he had some more talking to do with Vinnie. I gave him a questioning look and he said there was no way in hell Vinnie should have given me that file.

I shrugged and told him Vinnie did it all the time. That really set him off and the next thing I knew we were barreling down the road headed back to Rangeman. He parked in the garage and got out. He opened the door for me and escorted me to the elevator and we went up to five. Once we exited the elevator, he led me to Ranger's office and knocked on the door, opening it before he was bid enter. Ranger was glaring when we entered his office, but one look at Lester's face had him standing and striding towards me. He pulled me into his arms and asked, "What's up?"

Lester handed him the file and Ranger read through it. Ranger tossed the file on his desk and the look in his eyes had me fearing for Vinnie's life. Lester and Ranger locked gazes and when Lester repeated what I told him about Vinnie giving me guys like that all the time, Ranger reached for his phone and the next thing I know he was demanding someone bring him the weasel now.

I pointed out to Ranger that the skips weren't high bonds skips so they didn't fit with the Rangeman skips and since I was the only other agent Vinnie had, I was the logical choice. I also reminded him these were the guys I always asked for his help with. Ranger shook his head and said he was tired of Vinnie pulling this shit. He told me Vinnie was only giving me these guys because he knew Ranger would help me and then he wouldn't have to actually pay Rangeman the money he agreed to pay for their assistance.

When he put it like that I was a little pissed myself. I decided to head out and check out the other four skips I had and so Lester and I made our way back down to the garage. I got into the passenger seat and Lester asked who we were going after first. I suggested starting at the top file and working our way through them. First up was Diane Sutton. She was arrested for assault and battery. Seems she took offense to her husband of ten years having an affair and she'd taken a baseball bat to him while he slept.

We reached the house and I noticed there was a car in the driveway. I called the number listed and a woman answered. I asked if Diane was there and told just a minute. A few seconds later another female voice asked, "Yes? What can I do for yo?"

I hung up and indicated to Lester she was home. He nodded and asked, "How do you want to do this?"

"I'll take the front door and you take the back."

Lester nodded and said, "Give me 5 minutes before you head up to the door."

I nodded and watched as he went around to the back. I checked the time and when the 5 minutes were up I went up to the front door and rang the bell. The door opened and I could see the woman in front of me was the same as the photo I'd received in the file. "Diane Sutton?"

"Yes?"

"My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm here at the request of your bondsman Vincent Plum. You missed your court date and I need to take you down so you can reschedule."

She gave me a sweet smile that screamed false and said, "Dear me. Did I forget that? I could have sworn I wasn't scheduled for another two weeks. I promise I'll head down there just as soon as I can."

"I have a car right here. I can take you down and we can get you re-bonded right now."

She was looking slightly less friendly and said, "Oh no dear. Now just really isn't a good time."

Willing to hear her out I asked, "Why is that?"

She was no longer pretending to be friendly at all. She glared at me and said, "Because I damn well said I'm not going. Now leave or I'll be forced to call the police."

"Oh by all means, call the police. We can let them settle this."

She glared at me and I got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. She reached behind the door and the next thing I know she's coming at me with a bat. She screeches, "I'll teach you bitch! I told you I'm not going! What part of not going do you not understand?"

My eyes widened in alarm and I reached for my stun gun. Before I could even get my hand in my purse I saw Lester walk silently up behind her and in seconds she was cuffed and we were walking her to the car after locking her house up. Lester helped me into the passenger seat and the whole way to the police station he was shaking his head. When we parked in the lot and took her in the back I noticed several friendly faces. Carl and Big Dog were there as well as my cousin Eddie. Robin Russell and Lenny Sizemore, as well as a handful of others I knew well. I sat Diane on the bench while I handed my paperwork to the docking Lieutenant.

I was just getting my body receipt when officer Gaspick walked in the back door with a handcuffed gang member. He handed off his charge to Lenny and turned towards where I was standing with Lester. I had to blink at the change on his face when he saw us. The intensity in his eyes really freaked me out a little. I gave him a little smile and turned and asked Lester if he was ready to go get the next one. We made our way out to the car and were on our way in no time.

We had a very productive day. I had two body receipts and not once did I roll in garbage. Lester on the other hand didn't fare as well. When we went to the second skips house, we had to go in after him. He was totally nude and had lathered himself with vaseline figuring we'd give up right away. Lester laughed and said, "He doesn't know you very well does he Beautiful?"

I glared at Lester and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you have to admit you don't exactly have that give up gene in the common person."

"So that just means I'm not a common person."

With that I advanced on the skip. When he saw I was serious he made a run for it but slipped and took Lester down with him. They landed in the bagged garbage. The bags burst open and garbage flew everywhere. All over Lester and the skip. Fortunately I remained in pristine condition.

Lester's POV:

I was thrilled when I found out I got to go out with Beautiful today. I was looking forward to being able to tease her about landing in garbage or something. When we got to the bonds office and that little weasel started going off on her about finally getting back to work, well I followed him into his office and explained things to him so he'd understand. Then we get out to the car and I see her frown as she reads over one of her files. I read the file and I'm ready to go back in and finish off the little weasel. Then she tells me Vinnie's always gives her guys like this. Oh boy! My foot hits the gas and in minutes we are at Rangeman. I escort her up to Ranger's office and when he learns the reason for our visit, I see he's as pissed as I was. I leave Vinnie in his capable hands and we head back out.

I heard the first skips raised voice and saw her reach for the bat behind the door. No way was I letting her near Beautiful with that weapon. I quietly made my way behind her and had her handcuffed in no time. Then when we take her down to the police station I'm anxious to get out of there. Then when we go after the second skip, all hell breaks loose and I'm the one rolling in garbage and she's the one laughing all the way back to Rangeman.

I quickly shower and change and meet her on five. She went to visit Ranger while I was changing, so that's where I head now. When I entered his office I can tell by the flush on Beautiful's face that they've been making out. I smirk and her blush grows. I look up and my gaze locks with Ranger's and I straighten up. I get the picture fast that I need to stop now or I'll regret it severely. I tell him about our visit to the police station and he nods. I suggest stopping at Pino's for dinner and Beautiful's eyes light up. Ranger and I both laugh. Ranger calls Bobby, Tank, Cal and Caleb to join us. He tells them of our dining plans and when Caleb finds out he and Cal will be on duty, he groans and whines at how unfair life is. Beautiful walks over and smiles up at him and says, "Don't worry. I'll make sure you and Cal get a sub of your own."

I watch as Caleb's eyes light up. Whether it's because of the promise of the sub or if it's something else is unknown. I turn and meet Ranger's eyes. I see his thoughts are working as well. I can tell Bobby and Tank are on the same wavelength as well. I ride with Ranger and Beautiful, and the other four guys drive over together. We grabbed our usual seats which made things a little hard for all of us to have the vantage we wanted. Ranger and I sat on either side of Beautiful, our backs to the wall so we could see everything. Tank and Bobby reluctantly sat facing us.

The waitress had a weird look in her eyes when she came over to our table. At first I thought she might be high on something but she kept her focus on Beautiful. The cops were out in force tonight. All the ones we'd seen earlier were here as well as more. I met the guys gazes one at a time and was ever more vigilant. I wanted to be ready if anyone should pose a visible threat. I knew the other guys were as ready as I was for trouble.

Unknown POV:

I saw her today. She was with _them_. She was always with them. At the police station there was one of them, now here at Pino's she's surrounded with them. I can't believe I am here watching her. I love the way she eats her sub. Each bite leads to such wonderful noises. I can't wait to get rid of him so she'll be mine. I want to hear those sounds when I take her. I can't wait to put my plans in motion. First is to get rid of him though. I just have to figure out how to do that so no one suspects me.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

**_I watch as Caleb's eyes light up. Whether it's because of the promise of the sub or if it's something else is unknown. I turn and meet Ranger's eyes. I see his thoughts are working as well. I can tell Bobby and Tank are on the same wavelength as well. I ride with Ranger and Beautiful, and the other four guys drive over together. We grabbed our usual seats which made things a little hard for all of us to have the vantage we wanted. Ranger and I sat on either side of Beautiful, our backs to the wall so we could see everything. Tank and Bobby reluctantly sat facing us._**

_**The waitress had a weird look in her eyes when she came over to our table. At first I thought she might be high on something but she kept her focus on Beautiful. The cops were out in force tonight. All the ones we'd seen earlier were here as well as more. I met the guys gazes one at a time and was ever more vigilant. I wanted to be ready if anyone should pose a visible threat. I knew the other guys were as ready as I was for trouble.**_

_**Unknown** POV:_

_**I saw her today. She was with them. She was always with them. At the police station there was one of them, now here at Pino's she's surrounded with them. I can't believe I am here watching her. I love the way she eats her sub. Each bite leads to such wonderful noises. I can't wait to get rid of him so she'll be mine. I want to hear those sounds when I take her. I can't wait to put my plans in motion. First is to get rid of him though. I just have to figure out how to do that so no one suspects me.**_

Chapter 19: Stalker Stalker Everywhere

Ranger's POV:

I saw him at the counter and had to stop myself from walking over and pulling the fucking windpipe out of his throat. I couldn't do that yet. We had no proof of what he was trying to do. Soon. Ram and Hector were tracking him and gathering the evidence. I had no doubt that soon we'd have all the evidence we needed. I felt the monster inside me nudge me to make a move to taunt him and I smiled and pulled Babe to me and kissed her with all the passion and love inside me. When I released her I got a look at him out of the corner of my eye. Oh yeah! He was definitely pissed. He tossed down some money and stormed out the door. I heard the screech of tires and a car sped by the windows of Pino's. I noticed several of the cops watching and several frowns.

We finished up and headed out. Babe had ordered two meatball subs to go and when we walked outside she went over and handed them to Cal and Caleb. I wasn't too thrilled with the look Caleb gave her. I promised myself I'd have a talk with him later. I made sure she was situated in the car and Lester climbed in back again. I slid behind the wheel and headed back towards Rangeman. Babe got a call en route and she told the person on the other end to hold on a minute and she'd put them on speaker.

It was Kallie on the other end and I felt the muscles in my jaw clench at what she told us. "He's really pissed now. He's going to up the timetable for his plan. He's planting the bomb now. It's not one of Ranger's clients, but close enough to make everyone think the bomber may have made a mistake with his placement. When Ranger goes to check it out he'll be waiting to pick him off."

Babe looked at me with fear in her eyes as she said, "Thanks Kallie."

"Stephanie?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ride with you when you go out tomorrow?"

"You mean you want to come with me when I go after my skips?"

"Yeah."

Babe paused for a minute and frowned, "Why?"

"Because Raven and I had an argument and I need some space. He's fucking driving me nuts."

"Ah, Kallie...I have you on speaker."

"I don't care. If Ranger doesn't want to loose a man you have to let me come with you tomorrow."

"How safe would that be?"

She paused for a minute and sighed, "As long as you don't come get me we'll be fine. Which means I'm stuck having Raven drive me in."

Babe smiles and I see a twinkle in her eyes. "Plus I'm not sure who Ranger is going to have go with me tomorrow."

"He'll send Lester again and Cal. Tank will insist on watching Ranger's back until Gaspick is caught. Which due to Ranger's actions will be sooner rather than later. He_ really_ pissed him off tonight. As a matter of fact, one of the rookies stopped him. He would have given him a ticket but Gaspick threatened him."

I frowned on hearing that and wanted to know more. "How did he threaten him?"

"He pulled his gun out and told the guy to go ahead but it would be the last ticket he ever wrote. He meant it too."

"Alright, I'll call Raven and ask him to bring you in. I'll even take your suggestion and send Lester and Cal with you. That will give Raven a break as well as you. Thanks for the advanced data."

"No problem. See you all tomorrow."

Babe disconnected the call and we traveled in silence for a couple minutes. Babe turned around and grinned at Lester, "Sorry about that. Looks like you get garbage duty again tomorrow."

"Not me Beautiful. You and Kallie get the garbage."

Babe laughed and I found myself smiling as well.

Kallie's POV:

I set down my sketch pad and checked off another room. I had three rooms done on the third floor and several more yet to do, but felt like I was really making progress. I stood and stretched and then headed over to the RV. I took a quick shower and dressed in a pair of black yoga pants and a tank top. I sat down at the table and laid my head down on my arms. I yawned and was out like a light. When the door slammed shut I was jolted awake and when my head lifted it connected with a very male chest. I glared up at him and stilled as I got a good look at him. He was beyond pissed.

"What's your problem?"

He put his face directly in front of mine and spoke in a voice so soft with menace that I got cold chills down my back. "My problem _sweetheart_ is you forgot to mention you were leaving and I've been fucking looking for you for over half an hour."

"Why wouldn't you look here first?"

His look darkened and he crowded me even more, "Because there were no fucking lights on here, that's why."

"I called out I was done and leaving."

"Did I answer you?"

"Well, no. But I just figured you were busy."

"You figured wrong."

"Okay. Next time I'll scream my head off till you answer."

"There won't be a next time. From now on you are going to keep to this schedule I have planned out. That way I'll fucking _know_ where the hell you are at all times."

"I don't work that way."

"You will now."

I glared at him and pushed my face closer to his. "Like hell I will. You are not going to tell me what I can and can't do."

He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me closer. His mouth covered mine and it wasn't a gentle kiss. I felt the underlying anger as he forced my mouth open and took control of my mouth. As much as I fought responding, I couldn't help but respond. Within minutes the angry onslaught turned into something else. When I came up for air I found myself plastered to him. We were both breathing heavy and after a few gasps for air his mouth was on mine again, his tongue plunging inside.

How things would have ended I wasn't sure, but suddenly I froze as a scene played out in my mind. I blinked and noticed Raven watching me. I whispered something about needing to call Stephanie and warn her. Raven pulled his arms away, turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. I grabbed my phone and called Steph. She told me to hang on a minute and she put me on speaker.

I told her, "He's really pissed now. He's going to up the timetable for his plan. He's planting the bomb now. It's not one of Ranger's clients, but close enough to make everyone think the bomber may have made a mistake with his placement. When Ranger goes to check it out he'll be waiting to pick him off."

"Thanks Kallie." Steph tells me.

"Stephanie?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ride with you when you go out tomorrow?"

"You mean you want to come with me when I go after my skips?"

"Yeah."

Steph paused for a minute, "Why?"

"Because Raven and I had an argument and I need some space. He's fucking driving me nuts."

"Ah, Kallie...I have you on speaker."

"I don't care. If Ranger doesn't want to loose a man you have to let me come with you tomorrow."

"How safe would that be?"

I paused for a minute and sighed, "As long as you don't come get me we'll be fine. Which means I'm stuck having Raven drive me in."

"Plus I'm not sure who Ranger is going to have go with me tomorrow." She told me.

"He'll send Lester again and Cal. Tank will insist on watching Ranger's back until Gaspick is caught. Which due to Ranger's actions will be sooner rather than later. He_ really_ pissed him off tonight. As a matter of fact, one of the rookies stopped him. He would have given him a ticket but Gaspick threatened him."

Ranger was suddenly asking me for more details. "How did he threaten him?"

"He pulled his gun out and told the guy to go ahead but it would be the last ticket he ever wrote. He meant it too."

"Alright, I'll call Raven and ask him to bring you in. I'll even take your suggestion and send Lester and Cal with you. That will give Raven a break as well as you. Thanks for the advanced data." Ranger told me.

"No problem. See you all tomorrow."

The call ended and I headed off to bed. It was several hours later when Raven entered the room. I could smell the perfume as he came closer. He went through to the bathroom and I heard the shower turn on. I closed my eyes in pain as I saw what he was washing off his body. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I slipped out of the bed and made my way to the front of the RV. I sat in the passenger seat and pulled my legs up so I could wrap my arms around my legs. I used the blanket I'd brought with me to cover up and closed my eyes.

I heard him approach and before he could reach out and touch me I cringed back and said, "Leave me alone."

"You can't sleep here. It can't be comfortable."

"I'm fine."

I sensed he wanted to say more but I turned away from him and shut him out. He clenched his jaw and ran a hand through his hair before asking, "What's your problem?"

I'd had enough. I stood, shaking as I said, "What's my problem? You're my fucking problem. You went to her and did that but it was really me you wanted to do _that_ to. You showed her no mercy. You didn't care anything about her except that she was a convenient body to use. My problem is that it hurts damn it! I hurt for what she had to go through, and I hurt knowing how little you think of me. So get the fuck away from me and leave me the fuck alone! That's my fucking problem!" With that I raced past him and was out the door of the RV. I took off and I didn't care what direction I went. I wanted away from him and all the pain I was feeling. As far as I was concerned, tomorrow couldn't come soon enough for me.

Stephanie's POV:

I was in the garage waiting for Kallie's arrival. As soon as she got here we were off to catch skips. When Raven pulled in it was obvious they'd been fighting. Kallie got out and walked over to where we were waiting. She climbed into the back passenger seat and Raven stalked over glaring. He was ready to say something but Ranger stepped out of the elevator and called him over. They talked for several seconds and Raven shot a glare our way. I got in the front passenger seat and Lester got behind the wheel. We headed out. The first skip was one I'd picked up before. He had destroyed one of my POS cars and made off with no less than five pairs of handcuffs. I smiled. Let him try and get away from Lester and Cal. I thought I heard a soft chuckle from the back seat but I couldn't be sure.

We pulled up in front of Marten Launders home and I saw he still had the same car. I dialed his number and when he answered I quickly hung up. I decided Kallie and I would take the front and Lester and Cal would take the back. As we made our way up to the front door, Kallie smiled and said, "He's waiting for you to ring the bell. He has a bucket propped over the front door and the minute you ring the bell he's going to dump it on you and try to electrocute you. We however are too smart and instead of ringing the bell, we'll go in the window. He'll be the one to go out the front door and trip his own trap."

"I like the way you think."

We did as Kallie said and the minute he saw us standing by the window inside his house, he started screaming and went out the front door. He was hit by the jolts almost immediately and started jerking around. When Lester and Cal came around the side of the house, Cal grabbed a tree limb and swung it at Marten, knocking him off the front porch and onto the sidewalk. I cuffed him and we put him in the vehicle before driving him to the police station. When we took him in, I noticed Robin seemed to be visibly upset about something. I handed my skip off to the docking lieutenant and went over to talk with her. She nodded when I said hi but didn't say anything more. Finally, I asked her if she was okay and she nodded again. Kallie came over and quietly suggested we leave.

I nodded and replied, "I'll be right with you Kallie."

Suddenly Robin's attention was focused on Kallie and she bit her lip and had tears in her eyes. I noticed Kallie looked at her with a sadness in her own eyes. Neither woman said anything and I figured it was probably best if we went ahead and left.

A few hours later we were back at the police station and I learned Robin had left for the day saying she didn't feel well. Kallie looked haunted about something but she wouldn't tell me anything. I decided to drop by the bonds office on our way back to Rangeman. I had four body receipts and wanted to see if there were any new files. I walked in with my entourage and found Lula lounging on the sofa as Connie sat behind her desk.

"You have any files for me Connie?"

Connie grinned. "Sure do. You get the green files. By the way, can you drop the red files of at Rangeman?"

"Sure Connie. Is this a new system?"

"You bet it is."

Both Connie and Lula were grinning and I had no clue what was going on. I was about to question them when Vinnie walked out of his office and saw me. He screamed like a girl and ran back into his office. Before he'd left, I noticed he had two black eyes and a broken nose. I shook my head. "What happened to Vinnie?"

Connie grinned. "Two men in a black Bronco pulled up and took him off somewhere. When he came back he was sporting the black eyes and broken nose. He said we were going to a new filing system and if it got screwed up he'd personally take it out of our hides. Upshot is, green files go to you and everything else goes to Rangeman.

"But Ranger doesn't do low bonds."

"Vinnie personally pays Ranger for catching the nasty ones."

I just shook my head. Two guys in a black Bronco...I remembered Ranger telling someone he wanted the weasel, _now_! I smiled. I look over and see Kallie is smiling also.

Gaspick's POV:

I watch her as she talks to that little guy with the two black eyes. For once I agree with the one who keeps her from me. The little weasel needs to treat her much better. If he ever gives her another bastard of a skip, I'll show him the error of his ways. The bomb didn't work the way I'd planned. Stupid thing never went off. I wasted a whole day waiting for him to show up and he never did. I planned better this time. This time Ranger would die. I was going to use Stephanie to lure him out. I had the perfect skip for her to catch. Lorrie had agreed to help me. Especially when I promised her that Stephanie would love her as well. Lorrie had made sure to get arrested for shoplifting and when Stephanie came after her she was going to go with her willingly. Then on the way she would need to use the bathroom and when they pulled over Steph would go to the ladies room and Lorrie would help me get her into my van and the three of us would disappear. I would send word to Ranger that I have her and if he wants her back he has to exchange himself for her. I smile. Nothing can go wrong with this plan. No one even knows Lorrie's connection to me. They might recognize her as the waitress from Pino's, but that is it. If this doesn't work, there is one other I can ask for help.

_Okay, I really tried to have it be just one stalker, but then the characters started demanding their way and now look what's happened! Maybe I should have gone with a different title and they would have cooperated. __Also, I have to thank Tiggy for her comments because that triggered the wheels turning._ Anyway. Now I think you probably know who two of them are. Any guesses at who else might help him?


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**Gaspick's POV: **_

_**I watch her as she talks to that little guy with the two black eyes. For once I agree with the one who keeps her from me. The little weasel needs to treat her much better. If he ever gives her another bastard of a skip, I'll show him the error of his ways. The bomb didn't work the way I'd planned. Stupid thing never went off. I wasted a whole day waiting for him to show up and he never did. I planned better this time. This time Ranger would die. I was going to use Stephanie to lure him out. I had the perfect skip for her to catch. Lorrie had agreed to help me. Especially when I promised her that Stephanie would love her as well. Lorrie had made sure to get arrested for shoplifting and when Stephanie came after her she was going to go with her willingly. Then on the way she would need to use the bathroom and when they pulled over Steph would go to the ladies room and Lorrie would help me get her into my van and the three of us would disappear. I would send word to Ranger that I have her and if he wants her back he has to exchange himself for her. I smile. Nothing can go wrong with this plan. No one even knows Lorrie's connection to me. They might recognize her as the waitress from Pino's, but that is it. If this doesn't work, there is one other I can ask for help. **_

Chapter 20: The Best Laid Plans

_Warning for violence. _

Kallie's POV:

I stayed in the apartment at Rangeman. No way was I going back with Raven. I needed a few days away from him. I'd just gotten to sleep when I felt the presence. He was close. I could smell evil on him. I slipped from the bed to the floor and moved silently, making sure to stay as far away from him as I could. I made it to the door and silently opened it and bolted for the elevator. Once the doors were closed I looked directly at the camera and said, "I need to talk to Ranger and Stephanie right away. They are in danger."

The elevator opened on five long enough for Tank, Lester, Cal, Hal, Hector, Binkie, Woody, Ram, Bobby, and Raven to join me in the elevator. The guys stared at me and Raven growled and reached out and put his jacket around me...or he tried to. I moved away before he could complete the task. He glared at me and moved closer, but Bobby stepped in his way and handed me his own coat which I gladly slipped into. The elevator stopped on seven and Ranger stood there with a scowl on his face.

"This better be good."

I nod. "Caleb broke into my apartment. He was there to kill me. He knows I've been giving you information about his brothers plans. Stephanie's going to get a new skip tomorrow. Lorrie Granger. She's Gaspick's sister. Caleb is their brother. They plan to take Stephanie and use her as bait to kill you."

Ranger motioned to Hector but Raven spoke before he could move. "No. Caleb is mine. I'll extract the information you need...but he's mine." Raven's gaze went over me before he left to take care of the new threat.

Ranger motioned for me to come into his apartment and he got blankets and pillows for me and set them on the sofa. "You can stay here till it's safe."

I nodded. "Thanks. I'm sorry I had to interrupt."

Ranger smiled, "I think we'd both agree that all of us staying alive is much more important."

He left me to get settled and went back into the bedroom. I quickly made the sofa up and slid under the covers. A few minutes later Ranger came back out of the bedroom having showered and dressed. He spoke softly, "I'm locking down the elevator so no one can get up here. There will be a guard in the stairwell so no one can get up that way either. You'll both be safe."

"Ranger..."

"Yeah?"

"Be safe."

I could hear the smile in his voice as he said, "I have every intention of living a long and happy life with Babe."

"I know..."

Ranger knelt in front of me, "What is it Kallie?"

"I have a feeling. There's something I'm missing but I don't know what it is yet."

Ranger held out his hand and I knew he was giving me permission. I took his hand warily and let the door open. I opened my mouth to scream at what I was seeing but nothing came out. My eyes locked with his and suddenly I was gasping for breath. It was too much. I struggled to hold on and I could tell Ranger was getting ready to sever the connection to protect me but I shook my head no. It was there...in the shadows. My eyes widened as I realized what I was seeing. Finally, I let go Ranger's hand and met his gaze.

"Gaspick is Caleb's brother, and Lorrie Granger is their sister. It's like I told you before about them planning to take Stephanie and using her to kill you. There's more though. You'll never guess_ who _Gaspick is related to."

Ranger lifted an eyebrow and I told him causing him to swear.

Raven's POV:

I went to Kallie's apartment and it took no time to have Caleb exactly where I wanted him. I took him to one of the holding cells and locked the door. Caleb stood glaring at me telling me I was making a huge mistake. I let him rant for awhile before advancing on him.

"Why were you in her apartment?"

"I don't need to tell you shit!"

I shrugged and executed a roundhouse kick to the head. Caleb went down but was up quickly. He took a swing which I blocked and countered with an uppercut to the jaw. He came at me again and I smashed my fist into his nose, smiling when I heard the cartilage break. Blood spurted from his nose and he swiped his hand to try and clear the blood away. He had a look in his eyes like he was ready to commit murder and advanced on me. I cut his legs out from under him with one move and he went down. I put a booted foot on his chest and grabbed a wrist.

My voice was deadly soft as I asked once more, "_Why were you in her apartment_?"

"I don't need to tell you anything."

I twisted the wrist and hand. He screamed out in pain but I kept twisting. Suddenly there was a pop and the hand flopped uselessly. He was trying to pull my booted foot off him with his other hand. He was struggling but getting nowhere. I let go of his useless arm and stepped back. He scrambled to a kneeling position and I kicked him in the ribs. He went down on his stomach and I grabbed the good hand and pulled it behind his back.

"If you want this to stop you need to tell me what I want to know. I have no problem with breaking every bone in your body to get what I want. Make no mistake, I will get what I want. If you're too weak to give it to me in the end I can always go pick up your sister, Lorrie Granger."

He looked at me with stark fear. I smiled. I leaned down and whispered, "I'm a cold bastard who _hates_ women. I will have no compunction with extracting the information out of her."

"I don't believe you." he said with pure bravado.

I shrug my shoulders. "Fine. Don't believe." I pull out my phone and connect to the comm room. "Pick up Lorrie Granger and have her brought to me." I return the phone to my utility belt.

"You won't do it."

I smile. It's not a nice smile. "You were willing to kill a woman, what makes you think I won't?"

His eyes widened, "But she's a monster. She's sees things normal people can't"

I laugh, "And you think I'm _not_ a monster? Let me introduce myself."

With that I twist and jerk his good hand, not stopping when he starts screaming and pleading for me to stop. Once I have what I want I toss the useless limb away from me and grab a leg. Over the next 20 minutes I systematically break every bone in both arms and one of his legs. I'm not surprised he hasn't cracked, after all, Ranger hired him so I expect him to have a higher tolerance for pain than the average person off the street. I knew it would take more than I was doing to get him to talk. All I was doing at this point was allowing myself the pleasure of torturing him as much as possible before I extracted the information.

There was a knock on the door and I went and opened it. Hector stood there with a woman I recognized from Pino's. She was one of the waitresses. I motioned them inside. I spoke to Hector in Spanish, "You don't have to stay."

Hector shrugged, "They are planning to kill Ranger and take Stephanie from us. I will do anything I have to for that not to happen."

I nod, knowing he won't get in my way. The door is shut and locked. The woman has gone over and is kneeling over Caleb and sobbing, asking if he's okay. I go over and grab her by the hair on the back of her head and pull her away from him. I sit her down in a chair and strap her so she can't move. She begs me to leave them alone and I lean down and get in her face. "Then tell me what I need to know. Why was Caleb going to kill Kallie? What is it you are planning?"

She looked over at Caleb and he shook his head no. I smiled and went over to Caleb and kicked him in the gut. He started spitting up blood and I smiled. I turned back to her and said, "I'll keep going till he's dead. Is it worth your brother's life?"

"I can't betray them."

I nod to Hector and he points a Glock to her temple. She begs and I can see Caleb struggling to go to her aide but I make sure he can't get close. I raise an eyebrow and ask Caleb again, "Are you going to talk?"

He glares and tells me to go to hell.

Hector pulls the trigger. Lorrie and Caleb both scream. I make a disgusted noise, "Who's gun is that anyway?"

"Stephanie's."

"Shit. You know what that means?"

"Unfortunately."

"Any idea how many bullets are in there?"

"I know at least one."

"But there could be more?"

"Sure."

I look at my two targets, "Are you willing to play chicken?"

Caleb looks at his sister and after several long minutes he shakes his head no. "I heard her telling you his plan and knew I needed to silence her so we'd have a chance to do what our brother was asking. He didn't know anything about it. Neither did Lorrie."

"Why is he so fixated on Stephanie?"

He's quiet for several seconds and I sense his hesitation so I nod to Hector. He pulls the trigger again. Caleb closes his eyes as if in prayer when there's no bullet. "I can always switch guns with him. Mine _is_ fully loaded."

"He's our half brother. Seems our mother had an affair with a married man years ago. He never got over learning our father wasn't his. He did some digging and found out who his father was. Then he studied his real father's other children. One in particular. He did everything to emulate him. He joined the service, the same branch his half brother joined. Once he got out he joined the police force and worked hard to earn the respect of those around him. Finally, he decided he was ready for the move to Trenton. He wanted to make sure no one would suspect him so he played strictly by the book. He figured that way no one would suspect him when he put his plan in motion. He wasn't counting on his half brother dying. He had to change the plan. Only thing he hadn't counted on is Ranger. Ranger had already gotten the prize. Now, the only way of getting her away from Ranger is if he's dead."

I narrow my eyes at him. "What's the new plan?"

Caleb closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I've said all I'm going to."

I walk over to the woman sitting in the chair. I look into her eyes and let her see the monster inside me, "Do you want your brother to die?"

"No."

"Then tell me what I want to know."

"He'll kidnap her grandmother to get close to her. Once he has her he'll use her to kill Ranger. Once that's done then we'll all leave Trenton and no one will see her again. We have a cabin in Wyoming where he'll take her and if she doesn't cooperate, he'll kill her."

"Why is he fixated on her?"

"She's the woman his half brother wanted to marry. By taking her away from him, it was like he was taking over his life. To make up for his brother having their father all those years when he had nothing."

"Who's this half brother?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I've already betrayed him enough."

I narrow my eyes and tell Hector to get me two crates. He steps out and comes back with what I requested. The two of us work together to get Caleb in one of the crates. It's necessary to break his good leg in order to get him completely inside. I do it without a thought and we seal the lid. I walk over to where she's sitting and I see her fear.

"You can't do this. I told you all I could."

"You only told me what you wanted to. It's not enough. I'm done playing games."

She tried to struggle but she had no effect. I stuffed her in the crate and secured the lid. We put the crates on a dolly and moved the to the Lobby level. I smiled. We were in luck. The post man was just now arriving. I didn't worry about anyone opening the crates. We had taped their mouths shut before securing the lids. I told the mailman that the objects in the crates might move around a bit and make noise but everything was perfectly safe. He nodded and we helped him get the crates into the mail truck. I went back inside and headed to Ranger's office so I could tell him everything I'd learned.

Stephanie's POV:

I woke up a little after 9 a.m. and headed into the shower. I shampooed my hair as well as washing my body. I dried off and dressed in Rangeman black. I brushed out my hair and left it long while I made my way to the kitchen. I was surprised to see Kallie sitting at the kitchen table in her night clothes. I raised my eyes at her and asked, "What happened?"

"Caleb came to my apartment to kill me last night. I got out and made it to the elevator. I told the camera I needed to see you and Ranger and the elevator stopped on five where the guys got on and we came up here. Ranger told me to sleep on the sofa and they went to take care of things."

I put my hands on my hips and sighed, "Go to sleep for a little bit and I miss out on everything."

"Gaspick has a connection to someone."

"Who?"

At that moment Ranger walked into the room.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**Stephanie's POV:**_

_**I woke up a little after 9 a.m. and headed into the shower. I shampooed my hair as well as washing my body. I dried off and dressed in Rangeman black. I brushed out my hair and left it long while I made my way to the kitchen. I was surprised to see Kallie sitting at the kitchen table in her night clothes. I raised my eyes at her and asked, "What happened?"**_

"_**Caleb came to my apartment to kill me last night. I got out and made it to the elevator. I told the camera I needed to see you and Ranger and the elevator stopped on five where the guys got on and we came up here. Ranger told me to sleep on the sofa and they went to take care of things."**_

_**I put my hands on my hips and sighed, "Go to sleep for a little bit and I miss out on everything."**_

"_**Gaspick has a connection to someone."**_

"_**Who?"**_

_**At that moment Ranger walked into the room.**_

_Smut warning. Violence warning._

Chapter 21: A Relationship Revealed

Stephanie's POV:

Our eyes met and locked. "Who is Gaspick connected to?"

Ranger turned to Kallie before turning back to me and saying, "It seems like we still have a Morelli to deal with."

My eyes opened wide in stunned disbelief. "How?"

Ranger wrapped his arms around me and said, "They share a father. Apparently Gaspick's mother and Morelli's father had an affair. He's been emulating Morelli's life ever since."

I sighed, "I can't wait till this is all behind us."

"Raven has already dealt with Caleb and Lorrie. Apparently he didn't feel they were as forthcoming as they should have been so he crated them up and sent them to Tajikistan." Ranger smiled, "On the surface Tajikistan has been stable since 1997. The truth is it's still the war torn country it's been since 1994 when the civil war started. Factions are still fighting and if he labeled the crate the way I think he did, those two don't have a chance."

Kallie stared off into space for several seconds before she shivered and folded her arms at her waist. She turned back to us and shook her head. "You're right. There's no chance for either of them."

We were all silent for a moment. Kallie and I were having more difficulty accepting this than Ranger. Even through all they were willing to do, we still found it hard to be uncaring about their deaths. Kallie turned to Ranger, "So, what's the plan?"

Ranger studied us both for several minutes before smiling. "Why ladies, whatever do you mean?"

Kallie and I looked at each other then put our hands on our hips and glared at him. Somehow I don't think we managed to scare Ranger in the least because his shoulders were silently shaking with his mirth. I rolled my eyes and sighed, "We are not staying locked in this apartment while you and the guys handle this."

"That has the merit of keeping you safe."

I narrowed my eyes for several seconds and then smiled and nodded. "Okay."

Ranger's eyes widened as if I'd shocked him. He went to take his phone out but I held up a hand and his look turned wary. I smiled wider and said, "I'll be more than willing to be locked up here safe and sound as long as _you_ are right here beside me."

Ranger threw back his head and laughed. "Proud of you Babe."

I looked at him with raised eyebrows and asked, "So?"

He pulled me closer and wrapped an arm around my waist. "I think we all know I'm not sitting on the sidelines on this one. That bastard is planning on fucking with the woman I love and there's no way in hell I'm letting that happen while I sit on the sidelines."

Kallie gave us a funny look and then said, "I have an idea."

We both looked at her and she went on to explain, "Gaspick doesn't know about Lorrie or Caleb being missing. As far as he knows the plans a go. All he has to do is to wait for Stephanie to catch Lorrie and the rest is a go. They planned where the capture would take place and the gas station where the kidnapping will take place. All we have to do is follow through. Only thing is when we get to his car...it won't be there. You guys will."

Ranger shook his head. "Too many variables."

Kallie argued, "It _will_ work. I know it."

Ranger lifted an eyebrow and gave her a look that would have stronger men wetting themselves but Kallie just crossed her arms over her waist and glared back. They stood toe to toe and I was a little worried it might come to blows when the elevator dinged. Ranger had his gun out and pointed at the elevator within seconds. When the doors opened Tank, Lester, Bobby and Raven stood there still as statues not making any threatening moves.

Tank raised his hands and said, "It's just us Ranger. Didn't mean to send up an alarm."

Ranger put the safety back on and returned the gun to his utility belt. He waved the guys in and we all went into the den and had a seat. I told the guys Kallie's plan and Raven vetoed it. Kallie glared at him and stepped up so she was barely a step away. "You have no say in this."

Raven stood so he towered over her and replied, "Like hell I don't."

"You have no say at all. Ranger is the one in charge and if he says it's a go then it's a go."

"There's no fucking way you are getting within 100 feet of that asshole."

"And just who the fuck is going to stop me?"

Raven smiled but it wasn't a pleasant smile, "I will."

"Like hell you will."

Raven leaned down so his face was a bare few inches away, "Just try me."

I nearly got whiplash watching them argue. I looked around and noticed the guys all had gleams in their eyes like they were loving watching the exchange between Raven and Kallie. It kind of reminded me of Ranger and I only we didn't openly argue like they were doing. Ranger laid down the law and I went about going under the radar to do as I wanted. As soon as the thought was out Ranger looked at me as if he were weighing his options.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "Look, we can stand here arguing and get nowhere or we can come up with a plan that everyone is happy with." I locked gazes with Ranger. "Wouldn't it be better to let me in on it to begin with rather than having to find me once I get away from my babysitter?"

The guys exchanged looks and finally Ranger nodded. "Alright Babe. Just know I plan on having you as far away from danger as is possible."

Kallie shook her head, "Don't you understand. By doing that you put her in greater danger."

Ranger glared at her and demanded, "Explain."

"Gaspick expects her to go after Lorrie. If she doesn't he'll know his plan has been compromised and he'll find another way of getting to the both of you. Let us go with my plan. I know it will work."

Tank growled, "You know she's right Ranger. None of us like it but she's right."

Ranger turned and snared Tank with his gaze, "Yeah I fucking know but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. Alright, you three are responsible for making sure nothing and I mean _nothing_ happens to Babe. If she gets so much as a paper cut I'm taking it out of your hides."

Raven turned on Ranger with a snarl, "You aren't fucking serious. There is no way Kallie is being put in danger like that."

Kallie put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot before declaring, "Who died and made you my boss? You have nothing to say about what I do."

Raven turned back to her and the look on his face rivaled Ranger's when he was really pissed. "I'm making it my business to keep you safe."

"Well no one asked you to. I'm a big girl and perfectly capable of looking out for myself."

"Like hell you are."

"Why would you even care. You don't even like women. Aren't you the self professed woman hater?"

Raven sneered, "Oh women have their uses."

The look on Kallie's face was heartbreaking. She reached up and slapped Raven across the face and said, "Stay away from me." She then turned and ran into the bathroom.

There was total silence in the room for several seconds before Ranger raised an eyebrow and said, "That went well."

Raven turned and the look he gave Ranger had me backing up a step. Ranger was having none of it. "You can meet me on the mats at 0500 tomorrow and we can finish this then. Right now there are more important matters to take care of and I need every man available to be in top form. Since you are so concerned for Kallie you can have the job of making sure she stays safe. Babe wouldn't be happy if you let anything happen to her little decorator."

What happened next was an anticlimax. Bobby drove and I was in the front passenger seat with Kallie in the back pretending to wear handcuffs. We stopped at the gas station and I held Kallie's hands so it looked like they were cuffed. When we got to the bathroom, Gaspick was there and he put a gun to the back of my head. I had a couple moments when I was rethinking the merits of our plan, but I knew the guys were in place and they would do everything to protect us. When we got to his vehicle he opened the back door and suddenly he was screaming. Kallie and I moved quickly away to give the guys as much room as they needed to take Gaspick down.

Kallie and I watched with our mouths open as the scene before us played out. We were flanked by Bobby, Tank and Lester. Raven had the arm Gaspick had used to open the door and he was twisting it to the point the arm came out of the shoulder socket and hung uselessly at his side. Not to be outdone, Ranger had the arm with the gun bent at an angle not normal for most people. He bent it till there was a cracking sound and the bones came through the skin. Raven took a look at Ranger's handiwork and grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced his face onto the floor of the door frame. Blood splattered all over as his nose broke. Ranger smiled and nodded before grabbing Gaspick by the hair and pulling his head back and bringing his elbow down on Gaspick's shoulder breaking the collarbone. Raven smiled and repeated the action on the other shoulder. They were ready to continue but Tank stepped over to them and spoke softly to Ranger.

Ranger looked at Gaspick and growled. "You're lucky." Then he smiled, "Or are you. Now it's time to send you to meet your sister and brother."

Gaspick looked panicked, "What do you mean? What have you done with them?"

Raven stepped up to him, "I had that pleasure. You'll soon be with them."

Lester brought the crate over and Ranger and Raven stuffed Gaspick into the crate after taping his mouth shut with duct tape. They had to break several bones to get him completely in the crate. Once he was inside they sealed the crate and addressed it. Ranger stopped so he could drop the crate off to be shipped before we headed back to Rangeman.

Once back at Rangeman Kallie and I headed to the apartment on four. We were only there a few minutes before Ranger came to collect me. He thanked Kallie for her help and we headed for the penthouse. Once we got to our apartment, I headed for the bathroom. I stripped down and went into shower. Ranger joined me after a couple of seconds and I closed my eyes and moaned when his mouth went to work at the space between my neck and shoulder.

Ranger slowly lathered my body with the body wash and then he moved me so I was under the water spray. He made sure my hair was thoroughly wet before massaging shampoo into my hair. I moaned as he worked the lather into my skull. It felt so good and my eyes drifted shut. Once the suds were rinsed out he quickly washed his own body and turned off the water. He dried me off before drying himself and then he carried me out to the bedroom and sat me on the bed. He knelt on the bed behind me and slowly brushed out my hair. After he finished, he tossed the brush onto the night stand and leaned over me letting his lips kiss my neck where it met my shoulder. One hand covered my breast as the other hand snaked around my waist and pulled me back onto the bed. He lay me back on the mattress and then his lips took the place of his hand on my breast. He took the nipple in his mouth and started a sucking motion as his hand went to lavish attention on the other breast. The hand around my waist slowly moved over my mound and a finger slid in between the folds of my moist lips. He rubbed back and forth, pressing down on my clit with every stroke. My hips made jerking thrusts and I couldn't stop the moans from escaping.

When his mouth left my breast I started to protest but that faded as his mouth worked it's way to my core. When he pulled my lips apart and started teasing my clit with his tongue I started pleading for more. His tongue thrust inside me and he used his finger and thumb and rolled my clit between them. I felt the quiver of my thighs as I neared an orgasm. Just as I was ready to go over the edge he pulled his head back and moved back up to cover my mouth with his. He deepened the kiss and our tongues dueled. He released my mouth and once again headed south repeating the motions. When he entered me with a single thrust I was so keyed up I climaxed instantly. He started pumping in and out in and with each thrust his hand was rubbing my clit, increasing my pleasure to the point I couldn't think, only act. When he thrust a final time and his seed spilled inside me and he cried out with his own release. He continued kissing and caressing me until our breathing had returned to normal and then he pulled the covers up over our bodies.

Kallie's POV:

I headed to the shower when Steph and Ranger left. I smiled, knowing she was in for one hell of a night. I thought about the scene earlier tonight. I realized part of the reason Ranger didn't want Steph anywhere near the scene was because of what he planned to do to Gaspick. She'd never witnessed him doing anything like that before and he didn't want her seeing it this time. I think he was afraid she would look at him differently. Ranger had nothing to fear on that score. Stephanie loved him heart and soul. She would never look at him differently because of what happened earlier.

Raven on the other hand was just throwing his weight around. I still hadn't forgiven him for what he did with Robin. She didn't deserve it and neither did I. I washed my hair and shaved before washing my body. I rinsed off and dried myself off. I wrapped the towel around me and grabbed a clean one to wrap turban style around my hair. I walked out into the bedroom and there was Raven sitting on the bed. His eyes darkened as he let his gaze wander slowly over my body. I glared at him and said, "Get out."

He stood and slowly came over to where I was standing and stopped in front of me. "I don't think so." He reached out and pulled me into his arms as his head lowered and his mouth covered mine. His tongue seduced my mouth open and he thrust his tongue into my mouth and our tongues dueled. He pulled the towel from my hair and then removed the other towel from around my body. He lifted me and set me carefully on the bed before stripping his clothes off and following me down onto the bed.

He held himself over me and looked down into my eyes. There was a question in his eyes and I knew he was asking if this is what I wanted. As much as it hurt me that he'd gone to Robin when I was the one he wanted, I couldn't deny myself this. I wanted him more than I'd ever wanted anything. He held my heart in his hand and I just had to hope he wouldn't crush it. I answered his look by lifting myself up so I could cover his mouth with mine and I let my tongue slip between his lips. He growled and took over the kiss. As his tongue explored my mouth, one hand covered my breast and the other hand made it's way to my core. He slipped a finger between the folds at my core and thrust three fingers inside my center.

When his mouth left my mine and covered my breast, I gasped with pleasure. He lathed first one breast and then the other, sucking the nipple inside his mouth. When his mouth moved to my navel I whimpered with the feelings of pleasure going through my body. I'd never felt like this before. Before I knew it his mouth was at the juncture between my legs. His fingers moved the folds apart to give him easy access. When his tongue thrust into my center I came up off the bed and moaned in pleasure. He thrust his tongue in and out, in and out until I felt an intense build up of pressure. I felt like I was going to fly apart. Just then he thrust his tongue inside and with his thumb and forefinger he rolled my clit between them and I felt myself go over the edge. Before I'd completely come down I felt him thrust himself inside me till I was completely filled by his manhood. He thrust in and out slowly as his mouth worked at my breasts. The intensity of the pleasure I was feeling had me making all sorts of noises. I hadn't recovered from my first climax and felt a quivering in my core as he thrust in and out of me with ever increasing speed. As he thrust, his finger and thumb continued to work over my clit. I was a quivering mass of pleasure when he gave a final thrust and we went over the edge together.

Raven covered my mouth with his and kissed me deeply. He gentled me till the spasms of my orgasm finally stopped and my breathing was back to normal. He covered us with the blankets and I slept.

Raven's POV:

I open my eyes and look down at Kallie sleeping beside me. She blew me away last night. I'd never felt such passion for anyone before. Usually I just used the females I took to bed to satisfy myself. I never cared enough about them to care whether they enjoyed themselves or not. I did what I wanted and that was all that mattered to me. The intense pleasure I felt when I took her was unknown to me. I'd never felt like this before. It was like our souls mated.

She was right when she'd said Robin didn't deserve what I'd done to her. She was an adult and I told her the truth, but still...Kallie was right when she said I took Robin and did to her what I wanted to do to Kallie. I'd screwed Robin over and over. I know she got pleasure from it but it wasn't her I was seeing. It was Kallie. The look on Robins face when I finally reached release and called Kallie's name as I rammed myself into her...the hurt in her eyes didn't bother me until Kallie called me on it. Now, after experiencing this with her...I knew I could never be happy randomly screwing anyone else.

I lay my hand at her cheek and she opens her eyes. There are tears there and I kiss them away. I cover her mouth and gently kiss her before pulling away and looking in her eyes. Kallie raises her hand to my cheek and says, "You really need to apologize to Robin."

Our eyes lock for several minutes before I speak. "I will."

She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down to her. Her legs open wide and I slip between them. I smile, glad that I have the day off. I figure the mention of the mats Ranger made was taken care of when we both took care of Gaspick. Besides, even if he _was_ serious, what I'm doing now would be worth his wrath.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: The characters you recognize as J.E. are hers. Any other character is a figment of my imagination and any similarities to real persons is merely a coincidence. If the dialogue seems familiar it is probably either a summary or possibly even word for word from one of J.E.'s books 1-8. Any mistakes in citing the spot in the book or not citing are mine. The Beginning has a lot of content from books 1-8, if the dialogue looks like hers then it is probably hers. **

Spoilers: For now books 1 through 8 and 12. The first two chapters have a lot from J.E. books included, either in summary form or actual word for word.

_Note: The secret is out. This is a Babe HEA_

_**Raven's POV:**_

_**I open my eyes and look down at Kallie sleeping beside me. She blew me away last night. I'd never felt such passion for anyone before. Usually I just used the females I took to bed to satisfy myself. I never cared enough about them to care whether they enjoyed themselves or not. I did what I wanted and that was all that mattered to me. The intense pleasure I felt when I took her was unknown to me. I'd never felt like this before. It was like our souls mated. **_

_**She was right when she'd said Robin didn't deserve what I'd done to her. She was an adult and I told her the truth, but still...Kallie was right when she said I took Robin and did to her what I wanted to do to Kallie. I'd screwed Robin over and over. I know she got pleasure from it but it wasn't her I was seeing. It was Kallie. The look on Robins face when I finally reached release and called Kallie's name as I rammed myself into her...the hurt in her eyes didn't bother me until Kallie called me on it. Now, after experiencing this with her...I knew I could never be happy randomly screwing anyone else. **_

_**I lay my hand at her cheek and she opens her eyes. There are tears there and I kiss them away. I cover her mouth and gently kiss her before pulling away and looking in her eyes. Kallie raises her hand to my cheek and says, "You really need to apologize to Robin."**_

_**Our eyes lock for several minutes before I speak. "I will."**_

_**She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down to her. Her legs open wide and I slip between them. I smile, glad that I have the day off. I figure the mention of the mats Ranger made was taken care of when we both took care of Gaspick. Besides, even if he was serious, what I'm doing now would be worth his wrath. **_

Chapter 22: A House Restored

Stephanie's POV:

I woke up the next morning and padded into the bathroom where I answered natures call and slipped into the shower. Once I toweled off and dressed I made my way out to the kitchen to see what Ella had left for breakfast. I picked up the morning paper and froze. There on the front page was a picture of officer Gaspick. There was a caption that read:

**Trenton Police Officer missing**

_Officer Joseph Gaspick failed to report for duty this morning. In investigating his disappearance it was learned that the officer has been stalking Trenton's own Bombshell Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum. When Officers went to Gaspick's apartment they found the walls covered with photos of Ms. Plum. There was also a detailed plan of how the officer was going to kill Ricardo Carlos Manoso and transport Ms. Plum to an undisclosed location in Wyoming. Officer's were dispatched to the Rangeman building owned by Mr. Manoso, where they questioned Mr. Manoso about the disappearance of Officer Gaspick. Fortunately for Mr. Manoso and his crew, as well as Ms. Plum, the group has an iron clad alibi. They were at a formal, private party being given by The President of the United States of America. The party was in honor of Mr. Manoso. The President released a statement where he applauded Mr. Manoso for his duty to his country and stated he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mr. Manoso is a man of honor and integrity and couldn't possibly have anything to do with the officer's disappearance. We were given further proof of the validity of the alibi in the photos attached to this story. As we all can see, there would be no way for these people to be in two places at the same times. There are no witnesses who have come forward and those questioned around the gas station where officer Gaspick's van was located said they didn't see anything at all._

I reread the article and checked out the pictures. How the heck did they get all these pictures. I knew we hadn't posed for them. I reached for the phone to call Ranger but the tingle on the back of my neck told me I didn't need to. I turned around and held up the paper. "How?"

"All part of Kallie's plan Babe."

I shook my head in disbelief. Ranger wrapped me in his arms and spoke softly, "Just accept it. If anyone asks. You had a wonderful time with the President and he is a wonderful person."

I met his gaze and something told me I'd need to remember his words. I repeated, "I had a wonderful time with the President and he's a wonderful man."

Ranger smiled. He leaned down and took my mouth with his and we didn't come up for air for some time.

It seems I did need to remember that phrase. Everyone in town asked me about that party and I repeated the phrase enough that even I started believing it. Gaspick never was heard from again.

_Seven months later:_

Today was the day. Kallie had called to let me know the house was done. Ranger and I were heading out to see the house. I was so looking forward to seeing everything completed. Kallie and I had become great friends. I had enjoyed watching the romance between Raven and Kallie bloom. The incident with Gaspick seemed to be a catalyst. They seemed as much in love as Ranger and myself. When Raven looked at Kallie...talk about getting a hot flash. Now I understood Connie and Lula's reaction every time Ranger and I were together in a room. About a month after the Gaspick incident, Kallie had gone out with me after skips again. Raven tagged along and Cal was with me that day. When we took the skip into the police station I noticed the play between Robin, Kallie and Raven. Raven looked at the expression on Kallie's face and gently brushed a hand down her cheek. He walked over to Robin and a few minutes later she led him to a private room. When they came back out Robin was looking a little less tense and Raven gave Kallie a nod. When she smiled his face changed. I noticed Robin's face as she took note of the change and briefly wondered at the sadness that entered her eyes.

I stopped on 5 and knocked on Ranger's office door. He opened the door and took hold of my arm before moving us to the elevator. We headed down to the garage and he made sure I was seated in the Turbo before getting behind the wheel. We drove out to the Pine Barren's and in no time we were pulling up in front of the house. I was stunned by the beauty. It was like stepping back in time. Ranger pulled up in front of the house and came around to help me out of the car. We made our way inside the house and I was stunned at the transformation. Kallie was coming down the stairs and smiled when she saw us.

"Are you ready to see everything?"she asked.

I nodded. "More than ready. I have been looking forward to seeing this since the first time I saw the house."

Kallie laughed. "Come on in then." She turned to Ranger, "Raven is out back if you want to join him instead."

Ranger shook his head and was about to answer when Raven spoke, "You mean he was out back. Now I'm in here."

They exchanged a look and I gave Ranger a look. We turned back and we followed Kallie and Raven. The house had been fully restored and there was such a feeling of love all throughout the house. "Oh Kallie...It's so beautiful."  
She blushed. "It's how they wanted it to look. They are at rest now."

I looked at her. She flicked a look at Raven before turning back to us. "Branden said he could rest now after all these years because the house would have a new family soon. That you would know what had to be done with it."

I had the weirdest feeling, like I knew exactly what she was talking about. I did have an idea about what I should do with this house now that it was restored. I wasn't sure if it would work though. I turned to Kallie and she smiled before whispering, "Don't worry. It will work just fine."

I smiled. Of course she would know exactly what I was thinking. Ranger was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I turned and smiled up at him. "How would you feel about making this a house where the guys could come and spend down time?"

Ranger looked at Kallie and raised an eyebrow. She laughed. "Think about it. There's plenty of land so the guys could get exercise. If you need to entertain you can bring the clients here. It has everything you could want. Plus, you'll be dealing with families that need a safe place to hide and this would be perfect. The guys will get to learn everything about the area to better protect the families, get some much needed R&R and the families will have a safe place to stay."

Ranger held up his hand. "I know when I'm outnumbered. I'll look into it and if we can do it then I'll make it happen."

Kallie and I grinned at each other.

I thought about all the changes that had taken place in my life over the past few months. Finding out that Morelli was actually lying to me all those years and he was willing to destroy my life. Dealing with all the stalkers and all the bad shit that had happened. And finally admitting to my love for Ranger and finding out he loves me just as much. It's been quite a ride. Now I'm ready for my future. I turn to Ranger and walk into his arms. I snuggle close and look up into his eyes. "I love you Ranger. I'm ready for the future with you."

He smiles his 2000 watt smile and says, "It's going to be one hell of a ride Babe. I love you."

With that we walk hand and hand to the Turbo and rocket off into the future.

_And they lived happily ever after. The End_


End file.
